Wisdom teeth are molars that can grow at the very back portion of your mouth, behind your last molars. Wisdom teeth usually erupt between the ages of 17-21. Sometimes, wisdom teeth do not have enough room to grow inside the mouth or they get blocked by other teeth, in which case they are called “impacted wisdom teeth.” Through evolution, some people can be born with 1, 2, 3 or no wisdom teeth at all, because our lifestyles do not require us to have as many “crushing” and “grinding” teeth as they did hundreds of years ago. This picture depicts an impacted wisdom tooth that is being blocked by the molar in front of it.
Signs or Symptoms of Impacted Wisdom Teeth
- Pressure or pain near back of mouth
- Swelling of cheeks or neck
- Bad taste or smell
- Xray evidence
*It is important to note that not all impacted wisdom teeth have symptoms. Impacted wisdom teeth are most often diagnosed by a type of xray called a Panoramic*
If You Have Symptoms Of Impacted Wisdom Teeth
Contact us to have the teeth evaluated. Some wisdom teeth do have enough room to erupt properly in the mouth without intervention. However, some wisdom teeth physically cannot fit inside the mouth and should be evaluated for extraction.
