6 Common Dental Problems Caused by Wisdom Teeth

As teenagers reach their late teens, they gain wisdom — and wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth, or third molars, help you to chew your food if they erupt properly. Unfortunately, in many cases, wisdom teeth create harmful dental problems best treated by extracting the offending teeth.

According to the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), 90% of patients suffer from at least one problematic wisdom tooth. Read on to learn why wisdom teeth problems are so common.

Why Do Wisdom Teeth Become Problematic?

Wisdom teeth erupt long after all your secondary (adult) teeth have erupted. Although girls usually get their wisdom teeth slightly earlier than boys, wisdom teeth usually erupt between ages 17 and 21. This is also about the same time that your jawbones stop growing.

Unfortunately, there isn't always enough room in the jawbones to accommodate wisdom teeth. When there is insufficient space for wisdom teeth, they may erupt in the wrong location or become trapped in the bone and gum tissue. Dentists call them impacted wisdom teeth. Impacted wisdom teeth cause various dental problems.

What Are Common Dental Problems Associated With Impacted Wisdom Teeth?

Along with impacted wisdom teeth, other dental problems arise:

Pericoronitis (Painful Gum Infection)

Impacted wisdom teeth often have gum tissue covering them. This makes cleaning impacted wisdom teeth difficult. Food debris and oral bacteria build up under the flaps of gum tissue covering wisdom teeth. Because food debris and oral bacteria are so difficult to remove, an infection can set in. Dentists call this type of infection pericoronitis.

Pericoronitis causes the gum tissue to become inflamed, swollen, and sore. Pericoronitis can become so painful that you struggle to eat or brush your teeth.

Bad Breath

When somebody hasn't brushed their teeth in the morning, you can usually tell from their halitosis, or bad breath. Oral bacteria are the cause of this bad breath. When you suffer from pericoronitis, oral bacteria are present around your impacted wisdom teeth in large numbers. This causes bad breath that won't go away until the wisdom teeth erupt properly or are extracted.

Periodontitis (Incurable Gum Disease)

Impacted wisdom teeth make oral hygiene a difficult and painful task. Your inability to brush around your wisdom teeth and the adjacent teeth properly allows oral bacteria to multiply and thrive in the area. When these oral bacteria eventually make their way under the gum tissue, periodontitis, an incurable but treatable condition that can damage bone and gum tissue, can occur.

Tooth Decay

Another common problem that impacted wisdom teeth cause is tooth decay. Since you can't clean around impacted teeth and adjacent teeth thoroughly, the oral bacteria that cause tooth decay can flourish. As a result, impacted wisdom teeth and adjacent teeth have a high risk of tooth decay.

Damage to Adjacent Teeth

Because impacted wisdom teeth often come through at odd angles, they sometimes push against neighboring teeth. This pushing force can damage the roots or crowns of neighboring teeth and lead to structural issues.

Cysts That Damage Oral Tissues

When a dental infection goes untreated, a cyst that contains infected material forms around the root of the affected tooth. This cyst may grow into a dental abscess, a painful and damaging sack full of poisonous pus. This pus can damage the bone, gum tissue, and periodontal ligaments holding your teeth in place.

Wisdom teeth don't always cause dental issues, especially if they have sufficient room to erupt. But teenagers — and their parents — should monitor their wisdom teeth before and after they erupt.

If you want to ensure that your wisdom teeth come through without issue, the Elite Smile Center can help. Our highly qualified team can evaluate your wisdom teeth before and during their eruption to ensure they are positioned properly. If you are already experiencing pain and discomfort, contact us immediately. We can remove your wisdom teeth before any of the aforementioned dental issues occur.