Most individuals recognize pain as a wake-up call that their wisdom teeth have come in and may need to be removed. However, it’s not the only typical sign of a problematic wisdom tooth that needs to be extracted. Other conditions include gum disease, tooth decay, recurrent infections in the tissues surrounding the last teeth, cysts, tumors, and harm to nearby teeth.

When wisdom teeth are removed, the impacted teeth are pulled out, and any neighboring, possibly damaged teeth are restored. Your dentist in Shelby Township will advise wisdom teeth extraction based on the structure of your mouth and the condition of the other teeth, along with an x-ray to establish their position and growth. Because wisdom teeth are more difficult to remove as people age and their jawbones become stronger, it is better to have them removed when a person is young when all these molars still are healthy. When do you need wisdom tooth removal:

• The teeth around your wisdom teeth might be damaged.

Your permanent teeth may need to move because of the eruption of these additional molars because they are already in place. Making it challenging to brush and floss efficiently and causing pain, bite issues, and crowding might eventually result in cavities or dental decay. If therapy is postponed, you might also need further treatments to correct impacted nearby teeth.

• There may be damage to your jaw.

Stiffness or pain first manifests, followed quickly by jawbone injury that affects the function and movement of the mouth. As with all teeth, wisdom teeth also emerge through the gums from the jaws, but this isn’t always the case, mainly if there is no room left between the neighboring teeth.

Some wisdom teeth develop in the jaw, moving the neighboring teeth and jawline. This may restrict mouth opening and make it painful to do so. When left untreated, cysts that develop along the recently erupted molars can empty the jaw bones and harm the nerves of the nearby, healthy teeth.

• You might develop sinus problems.

Did you realize that affected wisdom teeth can influence the sinuses? We all know how closely the nose and mouth are related. When the development of these molars causes sinus pressure, headache, or congestion, wisdom teeth extraction is essential. Because oral health is an indicator of general health, paying close attention to any symptoms or illnesses is crucial.

• Feeling sensitivity and pain.

Many individuals do not even notice their wisdom teeth are affected until they start to hurt. But it begins small and may even be almost unnoticeable, like any tooth issue. Any toothache should not be disregarded, even one with only a minor sensitivity and throbbing.

Pay close attention to where it happens; if it occurs when the back of your mouth is touched when eating or brushing, it is likely that your wisdom teeth have come through. It won’t be long until it becomes apparent that they crowd nearby teeth, developing at a slant to the adjoining teeth, or affecting the jaws.

• Presence of inflamed gums.

Gums also play a significant role in oral health and can be negatively affected by affected wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth can lead the gums to bulge and make it difficult to clean when they erupt laterally or at a slant to the other teeth. These reddish spots along the gum line eventually cause cavities and tooth rot, making it difficult to brush and floss properly.