The wisdom teeth are the last four of the 32 teeth we have, to erupt.  They usually appear between the ages of 17 to 25.  If one or more of the teeth does not have room to come in normally, it is “impacted”.  Your teeth can become twisted, tilted or displaced as the wisdom teeth try to emerge with no room. Family Dentist Near Me San Tan Valley AZ

There are several degrees of impacted wisdom teeth, all based on where the teeth like within the jaw.  A soft tissue impacted happens when the crown of the tooth has penetrated through the bone, but the gum is still covering part of the tooth. #martindental For a partial bony impaction, the tooth will be partially erupted, but part of the tooth will still remain submerged in the jawbone.  Complete bony impaction is present when the tooth is entirely encased by jawbone. Family Dentist Near Me San Tan Valley AZ

When the wisdom teeth are impacted, they do not always show symptoms.  This means you could have impacted teeth and not even know it.  If any symptoms do arise, it is usually the gum on top of the tooth that becomes infected or swollen.  Some symptoms can include pain, swollen and bleeding gums, jaw swelling, bad breath, headache, jaw ache, and an unpleasant taste when eating.  Some may even experience stiffness of the jaw or swollen lymph nodes in the neck. Family Dentist Near Me San Tan Valley AZ

If you are experiencing any symptoms like described above, make sure you visit your dentist.  If impacted wisdom teeth are left untreated it can lead to gum disease and tooth decay.  Damage to the other teeth can occur like infection and overcrowding. #smilewithconfidence There are rare cases that impacted wisdom teeth can cause cysts and tumors.