If you have a dental emergency, contact our Dental Specialty Center now at 717.551.1511
If you’re an adult that still hasn’t had your wisdom teeth removed yet, you may one day find yourself in the middle of a painful dental emergency. Having impacted wisdom teeth isn’t only an extremely painful experience, it can create a dangerous situation to your oral health.
We’re able to perform emergency wisdom tooth extraction for patients from the Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg, Carlisle and Harrisburg area in our Oral Surgery Center in Enola, PA. With our team of after-hours doctors and network of offices, we’re available for emergency wisdom tooth extraction so you won’t have to suffer longer than necessary with painful impacted wisdom teeth.
Why do my wisdom teeth hurt?
Most adults don’t have enough room in their mouths to accommodate their third molars (wisdom teeth). This means as wisdom teeth start to push their way in, the other teeth in the mouth are in the way, causing pain and discomfort as the teeth begin to push against each other.
Another common problem with wisdom teeth as they begin to form and grow is their location in the mouth. They’re located in an area in the mouth that doesn’t have very much room which can cause them to come in horizontally aligned, or at odd angles. Sometimes due to their location, they’re not able to erupt, which leads to impacted wisdom teeth.
You may be able to feel or see part of the wisdom tooth. This is called a partially erupted wisdom tooth and they can be just as painful and dangerous to your oral health.
Symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth include:
- Shifting teeth
- Sensitivity to gums or nearby teeth
- Gum swelling
- Tender or bleeding gums
- Gum infection
- Jaw pain or difficulty opening mouth
- Headaches
Why should you have your wisdom teeth removed?
As teenagers visit the dentist regularly, their dentists will take routine x-rays which allow them to monitor the growth and movement of wisdom teeth. Once dentists identify that wisdom teeth will begin to cause problems and discomfort, they’ll begin to recommend the removal of these teeth. In some cases, your dentist might recommend having them removed long before they cause any problems.
If you didn’t have your wisdom teeth removed as a teenager, you may have problems down the road as an adult with impacted or erupted third molars, presenting a situation that may require emergency wisdom teeth extraction.
Complications of Impacted Wisdom Teeth
Once you begin to experience pain and discomfort from wisdom teeth, whether they’re erupted or impacted, will never self-correct on their own. Oftentimes, the problem will only continue to worsen and create more issues in the long-term until the problem is addressed.
Issues that can arise from impacted wisdom teeth include:
- Infections – The sac where the tooth forms inside your jawbone can become infected and form a cyst that may cause damage to your teeth, nerves and jawbone.
- Damage – As the wisdom tooth forms, it can push against your second molars and begin to crowd your teeth causing alignment issues and wreak havoc on the alignment of your teeth. This may end up causing you to have orthodontic work to straighten your other teeth again.
- Tooth Decay – Whether your wisdom teeth are fully erupted or partially erupted, these teeth are much harder to clean and maintain, which allows bacteria and food to remain trapped. After time passes, this eventually leads to decay and other problems such as gum disease and infections. These problems might end up leading to more aggressive treatments than the initial wisdom tooth removal.
- Misalignment – If you already had orthodontic work, you already know what the investment (both of time and money) it took to properly align your teeth. Wisdom teeth that are pushing on your existing teeth could unravel all of that in a matter of time. Rather than undoing all of that work, wisdom tooth extraction could prevent the misalignment of your teeth.
Schedule your emergency wisdom tooth extraction with us today!
If you’re experiencing serious pain and discomfort, infection or any of the symptoms listed above and didn’t have your wisdom teeth removed as a teenager, you may need a wisdom tooth extraction. If you need an emergency wisdom tooth extraction, contact our office at 717.551.1511 now and schedule an emergency dental appointment with our Oral Surgery Team.