Impacted Wisdom Tooth Extraction: Prevent Damage to Other Teeth or the Jawbone
Impacted wisdom teeth can wreak havoc to your health so it is very important you can identify them and get them removed as soon as possible. Some of you may not know what an impacted wisdom tooth is, it is essentially a tooth that gets blocked trying to push its way through your gum. The most common teeth that seem to do this are, of course, wisdom teeth. This is mainly because there is just not enough room in your mouth for them. Sometimes an impacted tooth doesn’t cause pain or discomfort and you may not even realize that it is there, other times it can cause extreme pain and discomfort. An untreated impacted wisdom tooth can easily go on to decay your other teeth or even spread infection and cysts to your jaw.
The first most important thing to know about impacted wisdom teeth is how to identify them. Some of the most common symptoms include pain when chewing, pain when biting, swelling of the gums and back of the mouth, pain when opening your mouth, difficulties opening your jaw, a bad taste in your mouth, and bad breath. It is important to note that not all of these symptoms may be apparent at once and impacted teeth are not always painful. Pain usually happens for a few days then it can go away only to reappear a couple weeks or even months later. If you notice any pain in your mouth at any time it is important to go see your dentist as soon as possible to get diagnosed and start treatment.
There is no real way to prevent an impacted tooth as it really doesn’t depend on how orally hygienic you are. The most common way of removing an impacted wisdom tooth is either by extracting it or if this is not possible, surgical removal procedure is usually the next step. The after effects of having this procedure done are quite minimal but it is important to know how to take care of the wound. The first day after the procedure you should avoid doing anything strenuous and it is not uncommon to have some bleeding. The gum and cheek area may also swell so you should put some ice on your face to help reduce the swelling. There may also be some general discomfort so you should take some over the counter pain medicine to help with that as well. Avoid any foods that cause you discomfort to chew, try sticking to soft foods and soups that you can easily swallow.
Over the next few days, you can start rinsing your mouth with salt water and start brushing your teeth normally avoiding any sore spots. Some other things you might notice are dry lips and a sore throat you may also have stiff jaw muscles, these are all completely normal. Keep your lips hydrated with a lip balm or Vaseline, your sore throat should go away on its own but it is perfectly fine to get something for that as well. The stiff muscles in your jaw should return back to normal after the first week or so, stretching these muscles will help speed this process along. Hopefully, after reading this article, you have come to understand just how serious having an impacted wisdom tooth is. If you have any symptoms visit your dentist immediately for a check up.
