Wisdom teeth, also known as third molars can be quite troubling because they frequently do not come out of your jaw straight like other teeth, and instead end up “impacted” or trapped within the jaw bone. In some cases, this can be very painful and can also damage the neighboring teeth. You may not even be aware of this since it is initially not painful, but a quick checkup at our clinic will let you know exactly where these wisdom teeth are and what you need to do about them.
How to treat a wisdom tooth?
Do all the wisdom teeth need to be extracted? Not really. When a wisdom tooth erupts cleanly through the tissue without compromising the adjacent tooth, the wisdom tooth can be retained in the mouth with little concern as long as you are able to brush, floss, and clean it thoroughly. However, removal of the wisdom tooth is indicated if the tooth has partially erupted through the gum tissue, causing inflammation and/or infection. A soft-tissue growth over a partially erupted wisdom tooth is referred to as an operculum. If bacteria become trapped under the operculum, an infection called pericoronitis can develop.