Located at the upper and lower back of the mouth, wisdom teeth Burke or third molars are the last set of teeth that will come out or erupt. Experts say that these teeth erupt when a person is around 17 to 25 years old. While others have a complete set of these teeth (meaning four), there are cases when a person only has one, two, or three. In other situations, some people don’t have any wisdom teeth at all.

However, one must be careful when he or she thinks that no wisdom teeth have come out in his or her mouth because that are also cases when these might have been impacted.

The Root of the Problem

Having impacted wisdom teeth is a dental problem that needs to be addressed through extraction (more on this later). And it typically happens when the wisdom teeth don’t have enough room for them to develop normally or the mouth is already crowded, trapping the teeth inside the gums.

A wisdom tooth is considered partially impacted if part of the crown is visible. A fully impacted tooth, on the other hand, is fully enclosed by the gums. Whether it’s partially or fully impacted, a wisdom tooth’s growth orientation is one of the following: straight up, at a right angle relative to an adjacent tooth, or at an acute angle leaning toward the second molar or the back of your mouth.

Symptoms to Watch Out For

Considering the possibility of having impacted wisdom teeth Burke, how will you know if yours have indeed failed to erupt? Here are some tell-tale signs you need to watch out for:

Extreme pain

Swelling and bleeding gum

Swelling around the jaw

Bad breath

Unpleasant taste when eating

Headache

Stiffness of the jaw (for some patients)

Why Extraction is a Must

If you experience the symptoms above, waste no time and book an appointment with a dentist as soon as possible. On your visit, expect that you will be x-rayed to determine whether your wisdom teeth are indeed impacted.

If they are, dentists advise that these teeth should be extracted to avoid further complications. Apart from damaging nearby teeth, these are the possible problems that may arise once the impacted wisdom teeth Burke remain trapped:

Decay. Because they are harder to clean, food debris and bacteria can get trapped between the impacted teeth and the gums. This will eventually lead to the decay of the affected teeth.

Gum disease. Apart from the decay, this situation can further escalate to what is called as pericoronitis — a common type of an inflammatory gum condition.

Cysts. The sac from which the impacted tooth develops can develop into a cyst once fluid gets inside of it. This will damage the affected (and nearby) teeth, the nerves, and the jawbone itself.

This type of dental surgery lasts from 30 minutes to one hour. And many patients can immediately recover within a few days after the extraction was done.

After surgery, your diet will be restricted to soft foods only. You have about a week before you can you go back to your usual diet unless otherwise stated by your dentist.

As pain and swelling are usually part of the post-surgery phase, follow what your dentist will instruct about how to manage them. If these persist, book an appointment immediately.

If you need help with wisdom teeth Burke, contact us today at Northern Virginia Oral, Maxillofacial & Implant Surgery. Let us help you find the best solution to your oral health problems.