How Serious is Your Impacted Wisdom Tooth?

Have you ever wondered why it’s called wisdom tooth? In general, they are your third molars and they’re the last teeth to develop and erupt in your mouth in between the ages of 17 and 25, supposed the time when you’re already wise enough. Here at our Hudson Valley dental practice, we get a lot of questions concerning impacted wisdom tooth.

First of all, let’s figure out what makes an impacted wisdom tooth. When your wisdom tooth starts to erupt but does not fully enter the mouth, it is referred to as “impacted”. It has been noted that 9 out of 10 people have impacted wisdom tooth. By and large, they fail to fully break through into the gums since there is not enough room in the mouth.

Impacted Wisdom Tooth Should Be Taken Seriously

Here’s why: when nothing’s done with your impacted tooth, there’s a huge chance that it could become infected or damage your neighboring healthy teeth. Since your third molar is situated in an area in your mouth that is hard to reach, buildup of too many bacteria is a likely occurrence. Too many bacteria translates to gum disease which in turn could lead to systemic infection affecting the kidneys, heart, and organs.

To Keep or Not to Keep?

To learn about our family dentistry practice in Hudson Valley, make an appointment.