Impacted or Painful Wisdom Teeth

This is a condition in which a wisdom tooth fails to fully grow out (erupt) from the gums. This is a common occurrence with wisdom teeth which are the last teeth to emerge. They usually occur in the later teen years as the jaw has stopped growing and there is not enough space for them to come through. An impacted tooth remains stuck in the gum tissue or bone. As a result they may try to erupt horizontally or try push against neighbouring teeth.

Symptoms to indicate a possible impacting of Wisdom teeth 

• Pain or tenderness in the gums, or swollen or red gums
• Unpleasant taste in the mouth (especially when chewing with these teeth) or bad breath
• Swelling of lymph nodes or difficulty opening the mouth

Diagnosing impacted teeth

• Your dentist will have to keep an eye on the development of wisdom teeth through regular x-rays in the clinic at Point Cook.
• A partially erupted wisdom tooth may become infected or decayed. This is because it is covered by a flap of gum tissue making the area very difficult to keep clean since it is right to the back of the mouth.

• An infection called Pericoronitis can develop which is similar to gum disease. The dentist may be able to clear up this condition but it can reoccur and in that case the tooth will have to be extracted.

Treatment of impacted teeth

• In some circumstances extraction of wisdom teeth can be carried out by your dentist in Point Cook under local anaesthetic.
• Embedded wisdom teeth may require referral to a specialist oral surgeon or in some cases they can be treated at the dental gallery by a visiting dentist Dr Anton Binshtok. The embedded wisdom teeth can be removed either under a General anaesthetic in hospital, under sedation or under locals anaesthetic in the chair. Your options will be discussed with you and carefully considered to ensure that you experience the least discomfort.

After the extraction of Wisdom Teeth

• Some bleeding may occur after the procedure
• There might be a slight swelling around the area of the extraction
• Pain medication will have to be used as per the advice of your dentist
• If there is infection, the dentist may prescribe antibiotics
• Soft foods should  be eaten for a few days
• Teeth should be brushed normally taking special care around the site of the extraction
• You should avoid the use of mouthwash as it may cause irritation
• Take care not to dislodge the blood clot which will form in the empty socket thus preventing the development of a condition called a dry socket