What Happens If You Wait Too Long to Get Wisdom Teeth Out?

Early adulthood is often the time when wisdom teeth should be extracted for preventative reasons; the longer they remain in the mouth, the higher their risk of causing complications becomes.

An partially erupted wisdom tooth may become impacted and cause pericoronitis, an infection which can spread to surrounding structures in the mouth such as jaw bone damage and other oral conditions.

Impacted Teeth

As babies teething can be painful, growing wisdom teeth can also be excruciatingly uncomfortable as they push against other molars and come in. But the longer these are left in place, the greater damage they do to other teeth and jawbone. People without enough room in their mouth for wisdom teeth to come in properly may develop impaction – an oral health issue which leads to numerous oral health complications.

If your wisdom teeth have become impacted, they may erupt at odd angles or fail to come through altogether, leading to multiple types of dental issues. A misaligning wisdom tooth could push and hit adjacent teeth causing misalignments that require orthodontic treatments in the future.

An impacted tooth can quickly become infected if germs find their way between its surface and gum tissue, creating an ideal environment for infection to take hold. The infection could spread into cysts and tumors which can be painfully hazardous to oral health overall.

Wisdom teeth that remain impacted are notorious for trapping food particles and bacteria within their soft tissue environment, leading to bad breath known as pericoronitis. Furthermore, bacteria building up around partially-erupted wisdom teeth may lead to infection of gum disease or tooth decay if left unchecked.

Partially erupted wisdom teeth can be difficult to clean, increasing their risk of infection or damage. At this stage, it would be wise to consult an experienced oral surgeon about extraction. Furthermore, having regular dental exams prior to your wisdom teeth erupting allows us to monitor their development and recommend removal if it seems necessary for maintaining optimal oral health.

Tooth Crowding

Teeth crowding occurs when your teeth overlap or come close to each other, or come in behind or in front of other molars, for various reasons. This could range from bad habits like thumb sucking or pacifier use, to physical factors such as having a smaller upper or lower jaw size. Whatever the source may be, wisdom teeth should be extracted as soon as possible in order to prevent this situation from ever happening again.

As the wisdom teeth erupt, they may irritate or rub against other molars and damage them, leading to pain, swelling gums and other issues. Furthermore, wisdom teeth can push other molars out of alignment, creating malocclusion.

Crowded teeth can be difficult to keep clean, making it easy for food debris and bacteria to accumulate in hard-to-reach places and ultimately lead to decayed tooth surfaces. Therefore, timely wisdom tooth extraction should be undertaken.

Wisdom teeth may also present other complications; for instance, they can crookedly grow into adjacent molars and cause pain, swelling gums or cyst formation in their area of impact.

At Temecula Facial Oral Surgery, we recommend extracting wisdom teeth as soon as they break through the bone barrier in order to avoid disease and infection complications later. Delaying treatment could prove painful and more expensive. If you suspect your wisdom teeth have begun emerging or already broken through, make an appointment with one of our oral surgeons so they can determine whether they need to be removed and avoid complications later. To learn more about our services contact us now!

Tooth Decay

Just like when your baby teeth first came in, wisdom tooth development may be painful, although usually only for a short while and doesn’t cause as much discomfort as full tooth emergence. Delaying removal could result in greater discomfort; getting them removed as soon as possible would likely be beneficial to you and your overall wellbeing.

Problems often arise because many people do not allow enough room for their wisdom teeth to erupt properly, causing them to become impacted and partially emerge through gums or remain beneath gum lines, leading to gum disease, tooth decay and cyst formation around these impacted wisdom teeth. If left unchecked this situation can worsen over time. Additionally, cleaning around them becomes difficult leading to cysts forming around them that worsen with time.

Wisdom teeth with cysts become traps for food and bacteria that can lead to serious infections, as well as damaging nearby teeth and the jaw bone itself. If these cysts grow larger they can damage nearby teeth as well as deteriorate surrounding jaw bones and lead to gum disease or permanent nerve damage in affected teeth.

Wisdom teeth can also crowd your other teeth, forcing them to shift and overlap one another. This could ultimately cause them to become crooked requiring costly orthodontic treatment for straightening purposes. By getting them extracted early it can save both money and hassle later; plus it can be completed easily with minimal to no pain!

Gum Disease

As soon as wisdom teeth come in, the more likely you are to develop gum disease. Food particles can get trapped between hard-to-clean areas of new molars, leading to bacteria buildup and decay – and then spreading across to other teeth for additional problems and potential future dental work.

Delaying wisdom tooth removal can also contribute to overcrowding issues. When wisdom teeth come in crookedly or are impacted, they may force other teeth out of position, making cleaning them harder as the spaces between may become too congested for easy reach.

Impacted wisdom teeth that only partially erupt can be an immense source of discomfort and infection. The tooth may form a flap of tissue that traps food debris and bacteria, leading to pericoronitis – an unpleasant infection characterized by swelling, inflammation and unpleasant tastes in the mouth – leading to swelling lymph nodes around your neck and jaw area.

As long as you keep regular dental visits, your dentist can monitor the development of your wisdom teeth as they emerge and determine when removal may be necessary – referring you to an oral surgeon if required – saving both potential complications and the cost of future dental work down the line. Call Muir Oral, Facial & Implant Surgery today to arrange a consultation!

Jaw Damage

Painful wisdom teeth symptoms often indicate they’re coming through or have already emerged, with symptoms including dull aching sensations in your back jaw or mouth, particularly after eating certain meats or root vegetables, hot or cold temperatures or when exposed to extremes in temperature. While this condition will likely pass with time, it’s wise to see your dentist immediately for an examination and checkup as soon as any sign of wisdom tooth discomfort arises.

Pain in your jaw often stems from crowding of molars, applying pressure on surrounding teeth and gums, shifting one tooth forward of another or applying pressure to gums – an effect which may also result in cysts – fluid-filled sacs which damage jaw bones and surrounding teeth.

An impacted wisdom tooth occurs when there is not enough space for its proper eruption, creating an impaction. When this occurs, bacteria and food debris become trapped beneath a flap of gum tissue and become an infection risk, making it more challenging to maintain proper dental hygiene and keeping teeth looking their best.

Wisdom teeth should be extracted as soon as they begin emerging – typically between 16-24, though some individuals don’t experience symptoms until later in life. By scheduling their removal sooner rather than later, problems and costly, extensive dental work may be avoided altogether – not only is this better for your wallet but it is also better for maintaining oral health!