WISDOM TOOTH TROUBLE? ACT WISE!

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WISDOM TOOTH TROUBLE? ACT WISE!

• Curie.Health

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Wisdom Teeth

• A human adult has 32 teeth in total. However, the
  final four Wisdom Teeth or Third molars are
  the last to erupt.
• They derive their name from the fact that they
  appear when a person is Older or Wiser-
  around the ages of 17-25 years.
• Interestingly, research shows that up to 35 of
  the population globally do not have one or all of
  their four wisdom teeth.

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Wisdom Teeth
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Impacted Wisdom Teeth

• The wisdom teeth usually cause mild discomfort
  while erupting. Studies however show up to 24 of
  people globally have an impacted tooth which
  means the tooth does not have enough space in the
  jaw to come out.
• This problem has become more widespread due to
  the smaller jaw size in humans as compared to our
  ancestors. Commonly, the wisdom teeth of the
  lower jaw (mandible) are more affected by
  impaction than its upper jaw counterparts.

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Impacted Wisdom Teeth
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Symptoms of an impacted tooth

• Pain in the jaw, face, ear or neck corresponding
  to the side of the impacted tooth.
• Swelling within the oral cavity and/or on the
  face corresponding to the side of the impacted
  tooth.
• Swollen, bleeding gums
• Altered taste sensation, bitter/ foul taste in
  the mouth
• Painful or reduced jaw opening
• Oral malodor bad breath
• Excessive salivation

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Symptoms of an impacted tooth
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Common issues arising from impacted wisdom teeth
are

• More chances of decay and gum disease in the area
  of the wisdom tooth.
• Pericoronitis Inflammation of the gum tissues
  over the wisdom tooth, causing pain, difficulty
  in chewing and closing the mouth.

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Common issues arising from impacted wisdom teeth
are
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Common issues arising from impacted wisdom teeth
are

• Problems to the adjacent healthy teeth Impacted
  wisdom teeth might commonly damage the adjacent
  healthy teeth. Due to lack of space, these wisdom
  teeth can cause pressure on the adjacent teeth,
  sometimes fracturing a part of the healthy tooth,
  cause decay, gum infection or loosening of the
  tooth.
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• Overcrowding of the other teeth Wisdom teeth may
  push the other already erupted teeth while
  erupting or trying to erupt. This causes a change
  in the alignment of the teeth, overcrowding of
  the front teeth, protrusion of the front teeth,
  change in aesthetic appearance of the teeth, etc.

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Common issues arising from impacted wisdom teeth
are

• Cyst formation Rarely, an untreated wisdom tooth
  may lead to the development of a non-cancerous
  (benign) cyst. This may cause pain, discomfort or
  swelling and is treated by removal of the wisdom
  tooth along with the cyst (excision) and some
  amount of bone.
• Localised infection or facial swelling Pus
  collection within the tissues around the wisdom
  tooth can spread to adjacent healthy tissues of
  the jaw and/or face causing a Space Infection.
  In addition to facial swelling, pain, difficulty
  in mouth opening (trismus), altered taste
  sensation, etc., it might also cause systemic
  symptoms such as fever (pyrexia), lymph node
  enlargement (lymphadenopathy) and in severe
  cases, airway obstruction.

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Common issues arising from impacted wisdom teeth
are
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Treatment modalities for an impacted wisdom tooth

• Dentists usually advise the removal or extraction
  of the wisdom tooth if the diagnosis is confirmed
  with an X-Ray.
• In the case of an infection, a course of
  antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs are given
  before the extraction.
• Extraction is commonly done under a local
  anesthetic (general anesthetic might be used in
  some selected cases).
• Pain, swelling and discomfort following a wisdom
  tooth extraction usually resolve in less than 3-7
  days.

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Treatment modalities for an impacted wisdom tooth
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Curie Health

• From the above article, one can understand the
  importance of getting an impacted wisdom tooth
  treated by the dentist. These issues can be
  pre-diagnosed and treated immediately by visiting
  a dentist every 6 months.
• Book your dental appointment at https//curie.heal
  th/ and log on to the website to know more.