Wisdom Teeth

"Impacted"" means that a tooth has failed to emerge fully into its expected position.

This may occur either because there is not room enough in the jaw for the tooth.

Some of the more common reasons are: Wisdom teeth, either partially or fully erupted, can often be very difficult to clean effectively.

This increases the risk of developing dental problems such as tooth decay, gum disease or reoccurring infections.

Wisdom teeth, as part of their efforts to come fully into place, can put pressure on a person's other teeth and cause them to become misaligned (crowded and shifted).

While not a common occurrence, cysts and tumors can develop in the tissues associated with impacted wisdom teeth.

The attempted eruption of a misdirected impacted wisdom tooth can cause damage to a person's 2nd molar.

While there is no specific age by which a person's wisdom teeth should be extracted, as a rule of thumb, the younger a person is when they have their wisdom teeth extracted the fewer complications they experience.

Usually, a person's wisdom teeth should be removed in their later teens or early twenties.

Dry sockets are one of the most common problems .

This seems to occur with greater frequency in patient who smoke or are taking birth control pills.

While both jaws can be affected, they usually occur in the lower jaw on the third to fifth day.

They cause a deep, dull, continuous aching on the affected side(s).

It frequently begins in the middle of the night, and the Motrin medication usually doesn't help. 

Treatment involves placing a medicated dressing in the ""empty"" tooth socket.

This will help decrease the pain and protect the socket from food particles.

The effectiveness in alleviating the pain lasts for 24-48 hours and usually will require dressing changes every day or two for five to seven days.