Despite their name, wisdom teeth are actually very troublesome for young adults. Whenever wisdom teeth don’t have enough room to come in due to overcrowding of teeth, they are considered impacted. They may not ever show symptoms until it is too late, which is a major reason why visiting your dentist near Center Line on a regular basis is necessary. However, you may be experiencing symptoms that could be caused by impacted wisdom teeth. If you do not take action quickly, this can lead to serious gum disease, tooth decay, or the development of cysts.
Here are 3 major warning signs that your wisdom teeth have come in and a trip to your dentist near Center Line is needed:
1) Jaw Pain and Headaches
While there are many other medical reasons for jaw pain or headaches, the discomfort of impacted wisdom teeth can create jaw pain that can defer into the skull, creating bad headaches. This pain can be particularly more painful when chewing, sending sharp pains into the back teeth.
This pain can also cause swelling or stiffness of the jaw, a very noticeable symptom. This is especially serious because the impacted wisdom teeth may have already caused infection, and the surrounding lymph nodes are trying to fight back.
2) Sore or Bleeding Gums
Since impacted wisdom teeth are a serious issue, your overall oral health may start to be affected as well. Dr. Apsey, your dentist near Center Line suggests that if you are experiencing sore or bleeding gums, especially when the bleeding occurs with very little provocation, this could be a sign of impacted wisdom teeth. Tenderness or swollen gums, particularly in the back of the mouth around the wisdom teeth site, are major signs of impacted wisdom teeth.
3) Bad Taste and Breath
Bacteria becomes trapped in the folds of the teeth and gums where the wisdom teeth are impacted, creating a perpetual bad taste in your mouth. Since infections can grow rapidly, especially in dark, damp areas such as the back of the mouth, this is a serious sign of impacted wisdom teeth that can potentially lead to tooth decay and gum disease. This bad taste can still linger even when chewing food, and you and others witness the exceptional bad breath.
Other possible signs of impacted wisdom teeth include:
-Shooting pain in the back of the mouth
-Swollen glands
-Difficulty opening the mouth
-Frequent earaches
This shows the importance of having regular visits to your dentist near Center Line, since we are able to identify when your wisdom teeth will be coming in and take precautionary action. If you are experiencing any or many of these symptoms, call Dr. Apsey, near Center Line today to schedule an appointment to have your wisdom teeth looked at or extracted. If you wait, you will make things worse. There is the chance of damaging or overcrowding your other teeth, causing them to shift, which is a painful process as well. In rare cases, impacted wisdom teeth can cause cysts and tumors. If you are located in southern Michigan, get in touch with Dr. Apsey Dental to make an appointment today!