Why you should get your wisdom teeth x-rayed part 2

Most people still possess the terminal molars, also known as the 8’s or the wisdom teeth.

In most cases there is not enough space for the wisdom teeth to grow, so they erupt at awkward angles and then get stuck.

This impaction can cause gum inflammation, infection, pain and swelling.

In certain cases the patient cannot open their mouth due to the infection.

In the image above the LL8 is impacted and this leads to food trapping and dental decay of the tooth next door.

The LL7 suffers from a severe cavity and will need root canal treatment or even an extraction.

Sometimes the wisdom tooth itself get decayed and causes extreme pain.

It can be difficult to floss between a buried wisdom tooth and the tooth infront.

But a poor diet with lots of sweet foods and drinks will accelerate tooth decay especially around the molars.

Dental pain can appear when it is too late to save the tooth and the tooth next door.

On a radiograph, dental decay is seen as a dark shadow or hole in the tooth.

As many wisdom teeth are positioned deeper than the second molars, then the decay in the seconds is deep and close to the nerve. Some teeth will need root canal treatment or even extraction.

Final advice is to brush and floss the molars, get a dentist to check with radiographs for any signs of infection, decay or even cysts.

In our opinion the first sign of a wisdom tooth problem should be actioned with an extraction soon after, as we have found wisdom teeth; once a problem, always a problem.

#wisdom teeth #toothache #dental extraction