A lot of people choose to have their wisdom teeth removed before they begin acting up simply as an act of maintenance for the mouth; however, there are also a lot of people that wait until they are experiencing problems before they decide to have these teeth removed. If you are not sure if you should get your wisdom teeth removed or not, it's important to understand the signs and symptoms that can occur when these teeth are impacted. Here are several things you should understand about impacted wisdom teeth.

What Is An Impacted Tooth?

While any tooth in your mouth can be impacted, it is much more common for wisdom teeth to be impacted. An impacted tooth is one that cannot erupt in a way that is normal. This can occur with wisdom teeth for several reasons, but here are the two most common reasons wisdom teeth can become impacted:

1. There is not enough room in your mouth – Wisdom teeth are large molars that form in the back of the mouth. In many cases, people do not have enough room in their mouths to allow these teeth to come through.
2. The teeth are not growing in straight – The second reason wisdom teeth become impacted is from growing in at strange angles. If the teeth are not properly aligned to come through the gums at a normal angle, they may grow in a different direction.

When wisdom teeth are impacted, it is likely that you will experience symptoms; however, some people do not experience any signs at all when they have impacted teeth.

What Are The Symptoms Of Impacted Wisdom Teeth?

There are a number of different signs you may see and experience that should alert you of this problem. Here are some of the main ones:

• Pain in the back of your mouth, face, or ears
• Pressure felt on the teeth in your mouth
• Swelling in your mouth
• Bad taste that you cannot get rid of

When the wisdom teeth do not grow in properly, an infection can form, and that will cause many of the symptoms listed above. This can occur from the pressure impacted teeth can place pressure on nerves, bones, and other teeth. If left untreated, you could end up with severe pain and problems with your mouth.

Why Should You Get Them Removed?

While there are times when people never experience any problems with their wisdom teeth at all, most people will. Even if a person's wisdom teeth grow in properly, getting them removed is still a good option, because these teeth are prone to problems. One reason for this is their location. They are located very far back and can be hard to clean. If you cannot clean your wisdom teeth, they may be more likely to develop cavities.

For wisdom teeth that are impacted, removing them is the best way to avoid future problems. If the teeth are growing inwards towards your other teeth, they can place enough pressure on your teeth to move them. This could be devastating for someone that had used braces to straighten their teeth.

In addition, if bacteria gets inside your gums and reaches these teeth, an infection could form. Infections can be extremely painful to go through, and you could avoid this simply by choosing to have these teeth removed. You do not have to get them all removed at once if you do not want to, or you could just to get it over with.

If you are experiencing any problems with your wisdom teeth, you should visit a dentist to have them examined. This could prevent a lot of pain and problems in the future. For more information, contact a company like Dale D. Lentz DDS.