Everyone grows wisdom teeth at some point in their lives. While some of us are lucky enough to go through it painlessly, others may suffer during the experience. Wisdom tooth removal is required when their growth causes severe pain or presents the risks of complications. These things occur as a result of your wisdom teeth becoming impacted.

Impacted wisdom teeth are common dental phenomena in human beings. Over time and evolution, our jaws have gotten smaller making it a less likely or possible for wisdom teeth (the last of your teeth with the least space to grow) to grow in a straight, vertical fashion. Consequently, they can lead to several serious dental problems arising when they grow sideways or diagonally.

Check out the rest of this blog to know four signs that you might need to get your wisdom teeth removed. Acting early can save you a lot of pain further down the line.

Persisting Pain & Swelling

It is quite normal to experience some pain in your gums when a wisdom tooth grows out, but not when it persists for an extended period of time. The wisdom tooth which is not growing out straight can begin to cause pain when it grows into the adjacent teeth. There are even occasions when the pain subsides only to return a few months later.

When an impacted wisdom tooth erupts, the pain is usually accompanied by swelling of the gums These are all clear signs of an impacted wisdom tooth and that wisdom tooth removal is required in order to prevent further complications.

Stiff Jaw & Eating Difficulties

When your wisdom tooth is growing into an adjacent tooth it may begin to shift out of place, causing pain and stiffening your jaw. Opening and closing the mouth becomes difficult with misaligned teeth, and stiffness in the jaw can compound the swelling that is common with impacted wisdom teeth. As a result, eating may become difficult and cause intense discomfort.

Infection & Gum Diseases

Wisdom teeth can even cause infections and gum diseases. When a wisdom tooth erupts, the flap of gum tissue that is torn is exposed to food particles and bacteria that exist in your mouth and can be susceptible to infection.

Some clear symptoms of gum disease or infection include tenderness, swelling gums, pus coming from the gum, swollen lymph glands and fever. Wisdom teeth removal is crucial if you have reached this stage.

Cavities

Impacted wisdom teeth often cause its surrounding teeth to move out of place leaving gaps and spaces that will be hard to clean while brushing or flossing. This increases the risk of developing cavities that will, in turn, affect your overall oral health.

If you have suffered prolonged pain due to your impacted wisdom teeth, you may be at risk of a host of other complications that can be troublesome and expensive to treat. Get in touch with us or visit our clinic in Perth and get your teeth checked to find out if you think you might need wisdom teeth removal. Doing so early on can prevent a lot of pain, discomfort and additional costs further down the line.