Impacted wisdom teeth?

Question

My friend has had this problem for years. The teeth are growing outwards and have no room to move and are jammed against the jaw. The dentist won't remove them as they are not infected but she is in pain now and again as they move.

Should she have them removed? Anyone have any experiences with impacted wisdom teeth?

Answer 1

If she knows they are impacted, then yes she needs them out. I would tell her to go to another dentist. Here's some useful info I got from wikipedia.com:

Impacted wisdom teeth fall into one of several categories. Mesioangular impaction is the most common form (43%), and means the tooth is angled forward, towards the front of the mouth. Vertical impaction (38%) occurs when the formed tooth does not erupt fully through the gum line. Distoangular impaction (6%) means the tooth is angled backward, towards the rear of the mouth. And finally, Horizontal impaction (3%) is the least common form, which occurs when the tooth is angled fully ninety degrees forward, growing into the roots of the second molar.

Typically distoangular impactions are the easiest to extract in the maxilla and most difficult to extract in the mandible, while mesioangular impactions are the most difficult to extract in the maxilla and easiest to extract in the mandible.

Impacted wisdom teeth may also be categorized on whether they are still completely encased in the jawbone. If it is completely encased in the jawbone, it is a bony impaction. If the wisdom tooth has erupted out of the jawbone but not through the gumline, it is called a soft tissue impaction.

Sometimes the wisdom tooth has failed to erupt completely through the gum bed and the gum at the back of the wisdom tooth extends over the biting surface, forming a soft tissue flap or lid around the tooth called an operculum. Teeth covered by an operculum can be difficult to clean with a toothbrush. Additional cleaning techniques can include using a needle-less plastic syringe to vigorously wash the tooth with moderately pressured water or to softly wash it with hydrogen peroxide.

However, debris and bacteria can easily accumulate under an operculum, which may cause pericoronitis, a common infection problem in young adults with partial impactions that is often exacerbated by occlusion with opposing 3rd or 2nd molars. Common symptoms include a swelling and redness of the gum around the eruption site, difficulty in opening the mouth, a bad odor or taste in the mouth, and pain in the general area which may also run down the entire lower jaw or possibly the neck. Untreated pericoronitis can progress to a much more severe infection.

If the operculum does not disappear, recommended treatment is extraction of the wisdom tooth. An alternative treatment involving removal of the operculum, called operculectomy has been advocated. There is a high risk of permanent or temporary numbness of the tongue due to damage of the nerve with this treatment and is no longer recommended as a standard treatment in oral surgery.

A wisdom tooth is extracted to correct an actual problem or to prevent problems that may come up in the future. Wisdom teeth are extracted for two general reasons: either the wisdom teeth have already become impacted, or the wisdom teeth could potentially become problematic if not extracted. Potential problems caused by the presence of properly grown-in wisdom teeth include infections caused by food particles easily trapped in the jaw area behind the wisdom teeth where regular brushing and flossing is difficult and not effective. Such infections may be frequent, and cause considerable pain and medical danger. Another reason to have a wisdom tooth removed is if the tooth has grown in improperly, causing the tongue to brush up against it. The tongue can tolerate it for a limited time, until it causes a painful sensation, to the point where the sheer pain can numb the tongue affected, and the area around it (part of the lips, and the cheek). The numbness feels similar to the feeling of anesthesia, possibly meaning a nerve can be affected by the wisdom tooth improperly growing in. Also, it is a wise choice to have them removed if undergoing extensive orthodontic work because once the teeth have come in they could inflict some damage on expensive straightening.

The extraction of wisdom teeth can be a difficult surgical procedure, and should only be performed by dental professionals with proper training and experience performing such extractions. The precise reasons why an individual’s wisdom teeth need to be extracted should be explained to them by their dentist, after an examination which almost certainly will need to include x-rays.

Answer 2

I suggest going to another dentist for 2nd opinion.

An impacted wisdom tooth should be removed as it will affect the other tooth. It should also be removed as the food may get stuck at the bottom and will get infected. At the end, more teeth will also be affected by this infection. As it is painful now, very likely it is already infected.

If the bottom tooth is removed, make also a point to remove the top tooth as well, because in the absence of the bottom tooth, the top tooth will grow longer and may cause problem in the future.

I have mine removed and timely too, because it was going to affect the rest. To lessen to pain until you see the dentist, try to gargle with some anti-bacteria mouth rinse, as this will kill off some germs. But do not delay anymore ...

I am not a dentist, just speaking from my experience

Answer 3

hi - Ive had impacted teeth for 10 years or more, with 1 that kept on getting infected. Finally got to the dentist in the middle of an 'attack' (infection) last week and he pulled the tooth then and there. Freakin' hurt and I still have bruises a week later but SO worth it! So I suggest she changes her dentist :O) Passing on hugs, I feel her pain!xx

Answer 4

I have had experience with impacted wisdom teeth and I had to have mine removed to make room.

Your friend needs to find another dentist to have this situation looked at further. I'm sorry she's hurting.

Answer 5

Hi, I had impacted wisdom teeth a few years ago on right side of mouth not infected but hurt was refer ed to private consultant as on company insurance where he said he would take them out no problem, wanted to take other 2 out as well even though there was no pain and were not showing but on x-ray they showed as going to cause real problem when they would break through but as he would have to knock me out I declined as scared of ops!!! so had 2 taken out via local anaesthetic no problem :O Dentist should not wait until an infection appears as would then be real trouble

Answer 6

Yes, she should. And she should not wait till they are infected as that idiot dr she saw suggested. Tell her to see another dentist who will help her with her wisdom teeth. My daughter just had all 4 of hers removed a few weeks ago and it went fine.

Answer 7

She needs to see a new dentist. If she's in pain, there's no reason NOT to have them out. What is she's doing living on Advil? That's no good either.

Mine where impacted. I had all 4 out at once. One f the best things I did, having them out.


Good luck.

Answer 8

Yes, all four of mine were impacted & I had to have them 'cut out'. Wasn't a very pleasent experience but glad I had them out because they were painful. If she has her surgically removed she'll have swelling of the cheeks for about a week or maybe less and she'll be likely be given painkillers.

Answer 9

Just had mine out. I went private as the NHS is useless. Cost £508 to have them all out and it didn't hurt too bad. Tell your friend to get to a private dentist, it is soooooo much easier (although a little bit expensive!)

Answer 10

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