Wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, generally come in during your late teens or early twenties. However, some patients may have them erupt later in life. For some individuals, wisdom teeth may take years to erupt fully. Others will never experience eruption because the wisdom teeth are impacted and must be removed. Still, others may not be born with any wisdom teeth at all. Here’s a look at signs that your wisdom teeth will erupt and how to know if you’ll need them extracted.
Signs Your Wisdom Teeth Are About to Erupt
Wisdom teeth often erupt at an angle. They may also only partially erupt. For others, there is not enough room in the mouth to erupt, so the wisdom teeth become trapped under the gum line. If your wisdom teeth are beginning to erupt, you may experience signs and symptoms, including:
- An ache in the back of your jaw
- Irritated gums
- Pain in other areas of the jaw, ears, or even eyes (due to pressure on nerves)
- Bright red gums behind your molars
- White dots on the gum behind your molars
If your wisdom teeth are impacted, you may experience other symptoms such as:
- Throbbing pain
- Bad breath
- Bleeding gums
- Pain in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) that connects your jaw to your skull
- Headaches
- Difficulty opening your mouth completely
- Bad taste in your mouth
Complications of Impacted Wisdom Teeth
If your jaw has enough room to accommodate wisdom teeth, they may erupt in proper alignment. However, if there is not enough room in your mouth to house the third set of molars, they will become impacted. Impacted wisdom teeth can cause severe problems if not treated. Complications of impacted wisdom teeth include:
- Infection in the tooth
- Dental abscess
- Gum disease
- Tooth decay
- Chronic pain
- Damage to other teeth
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, you’ll need to have your wisdom teeth extracted. In rare cases, impacted wisdom teeth may not cause any symptoms. However, your dentist may recommend removing them, as they pose a risk of infection and pain later in life.
Not All Wisdom Teeth Need to Be Removed
Although impacted wisdom teeth will almost always need to be removed, wisdom teeth that erupt without causing other damage to your teeth will not necessarily have to be removed. Your dentist will need to confirm that the wisdom teeth have fully erupted so that you can clean them as thoroughly as other teeth. As long as your wisdom teeth are not shifting your other teeth out of alignment, you’re not in pain, and there is no sign of infection; you may not need them removed.
Wisdom Tooth Removal in Hoboken
Wisdom teeth are the most commonly extracted teeth, and the oral surgeons at Hoboken Oral Surgeons have years of experience removing wisdom teeth. If your dentist or orthodontist has told you that your wisdom teeth are impacted, or are erupting at an angle, schedule a consultation today by calling 212-696-2677.