Wisdom Teeth Guide

• Bad breath
• Difficulty opening your mouth
• Pain or tenderness in your gums and jawbone
• Headaches and jaw aches
• Swelling and bleeding in your gums
• Swelling of the lymph nodes in your neck
• Unpleasant taste in your mouth

If you experience any of the symptoms listed above, call our office as soon as possible.

Some wisdom teeth erupt (emerge through the gum) without causing any problems, but sometimes wisdom teeth come through at an angle and push into the gum or the tooth beside them. This is called impaction.

Impaction of a wisdom tooth can be painful and sometimes causes infection. Brushing these teeth can be difficult. Food and bacteria can get stuck between the wisdom tooth and the tooth next to it, leading to tooth decay and gum infections.

Crowded wisdom teeth in the upper jaw often lean sideways and rub against the cheek. This may cause ulcers on the cheek and chewing problems.

• There is not enough room in your mouth for your wisdom teeth to come through properly -- removing a tooth early may help prevent a future problem
• You are experiencing pain, infection, or damage to other teeth

They may also recommend keeping a watch on the tooth in case it looks like causing problems later.

• By improving oral hygiene in the area
• By having the area cleaned by a dentist
• Sometimes, by the prescription of antibiotics

However, the infection may keep coming back if problem teeth are not removed. People who have other health problems, especially people with lower immunity, may have complications from these infections.