Wisdom teeth, or third molars, can become impacted and cause issues for you if they are tilted, crowded into the teeth in front of them, don’t have enough room, or an improper bite alignment. Complications from impacted wisdom teeth can lead to gum disease or tooth decay, damage to other teeth, infection, overcrowding of the teeth, and even cysts or tumors.
Some signs and symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth include:
- stiffness or pain around jaw
- headaches
- bad breath
- swelling around the jaw
- tender, red, or bleeding gums in the back of mouth
- unpleasant taste in mouth
- difficult opening you mouth
- feeling pressure on back teeth
- shifting of teeth in the front
Typically, if your teeth are impacted, Dr. Amin will recommend extraction of the teeth. Patients concerned about pain during the procedure need not worry. Fortunately, modern anesthesia technology now makes it possible to perform even complex surgeries in the dental office (rather than in the hospital) with little or no discomfort to the patient. In cases involving dental surgery, local anesthesia that numbs the surgical area (novacaine) is used either by itself or in combination with one or more of the following: nitrous oxide (sometimes called “laughing gas”) to relax you; oral premedication; intravenous “I.V.” sedation (also known as “twilight sleep” or “conscious sedation”) for relaxation. In fact, many patients report that their surgeries were remarkably pain- and anxiety-free! Click here to learn about having a pain-free wisdom teeth recovery after surgery.