What to Do If You Think Your Wisdom Teeth May Have to Come Out?

The third set of permanent molars, also known as wisdom teeth, typically begins to erupt in young adults when they are between 17 and 25 years of age. Sometimes the wisdom teeth are able to grow in just fine, while other times they have to come out. Westmount Dental Centre, an Edmonton dentist, provides tooth extractions for wisdom teeth which have become impacted, infected, or are causing other issues in your mouth. Why do humans have wisdom teeth anyway? It is widely believed that, hundreds of thousands of years ago, the final molars used to fit comfortably in the mouth and were useful for helping humans chew a diet full of roots, leaves, nuts, and meat. While most human populations still retain the gene for wisdom teeth, the human jaw has become considerably smaller over time. Many people's jaws cannot accommodate wisdom teeth as comfortably as their distant ancestor's jaws once could. This may cause the wisdom teeth to grow in at the wrong angle and to push against the adjacent teeth. It may even prevent the wisdom teeth from being able to erupt out of the gums at all. Signs That Your Wisdom Teeth May Need to Come Out There are several warning signs that your wisdom teeth may have to come out and that you should have them looked at by an Edmonton family dentist. The main sign that your wisdom teeth are impacted or infected will be tooth pain, jaw pain, or both. Your jaw may also feel stiff and you may experience more headaches than usual as a result. A wisdom tooth that is impacted or infected will also typically cause swelling in the gums around the tooth. This swelling may extend down to the jaw as well. Pain and swelling caused by wisdom teeth, even if minor at first, can quickly become worse. Keep in mind that even wisdom teeth which aren't causing any pain and discomfort may do so later on, and so should be looked at by an Edmonton dentist regardless. Because they are located so far back in the mouth, wisdom teeth are also more susceptible to cavities. Your dentist may recommend that they come out even if they are growing in comfortably. Don't Ignore the Signs - Contact a West Edmonton Dentist Today Now that you know the major warnings signs that your wisdom teeth may have to come out, you have to watch out and contact a West Edmonton dentist if you experience any of them. You don't want to wait long to be seen by a dentist if you begin to develop major pain and swelling. Westmount Dental Centre is an emergency dentist in Edmonton that you can rely on if your wisdom teeth are causing you trouble and need to be looked at right away. You don't have to live with wisdom tooth pain and discomfort. Don't hesitate to contact Westmount Dental Centre for any concerns and questions you might have about your wisdom teeth.