Live Life Team
Wisdom teeth are those which appear finally in the process of dentition in both the upper and lower gums. These teeth are medically termed as third molars. These erupt in a person in his/her late teenage or near the beginning of twenties and are normally four in number.
The nature in which wisdom teeth grow is termed as ‘impacted’ because of its pattern of accommodating itself in the available space in mouth. The impacted growth is further classified into the following:
Mesial impaction – this is the most frequently seen type. This is featured with the growth of teeth in the angle that that faces towards the front portion of mouth.
Vertical impaction – in this type, the tooth grows in a straight but gets stuck with the adjacent one.
Horizontal impaction – in this type the growth is horizontal and presses against the adjacent one.
Distal impacrtion – in this type, the growth is featured in the opposite direction of the adjacent one.
Complications
Once the wisdom tooth is extracted most of the people experience a dry socket and is regarded as one of its potential complication. It features with a mild pain sensation in the gum or may be in jaw and is seen 3-4 days following surgery. The pain will be associated with a bad odour.
The reason for the dry socket is thought to be the failure of formation of a clot at its site or may be due to its dislodging. A medicated dressing may be placed at this site and need to be replaced at times till the socket is wholly healed. The habit of smoking increases the likelihood of developing this complication.
Paresthesia may be seen in very few people undergoing this procedure. This condition arises as a result of the damage or injury that is happening to the nerves that are adjacent. It may result in a momentary loss of sensation of tongue, lower lip and lower jaw.
Paresthesia may be present for a some days, may be weeks or even months. But if the damage is very severe, the condition may persist for ever. Elderly people undergoing this procedure are more at risk owing to the proximity of the nerves to the tooth.
A thorough examination of the mouth, jaw an gums is required before the procedure. An oral X-ray may help the dentist to analyse the structures.
An impacted or not fully erupted wisdom tooth may be painful and also result in various dental problems including infection. It’s difficult to clean up these teeth and hence makes it more vulnerable to infection. As a result the following conditions may develop:
Pericoronitis – Accumulation of plaque between the gums and tooth resulting in inflammation and infection of the soft tissues.
Cavities – A cavity or a hole may be formed owing to tooth decay when the plaque is not treated promptly.
Peridontal disease – medically, gum disorders of this sort are known and it is the result of inadequate management of the plaque.
