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Wisdom teeth occur naturally in all people. As the last teeth to appear (normally between the ages of 18-25) at the very back of the mouth, they often have trouble fitting within the space, these are referred to as ‘impacted wisdom teeth’. For this reason, many people have their wisdom teeth removed. It is a common procedure and your Central London dentist will be able to talk you through the process.
Different types of impacted wisdom teeth refer to the angle at which they have grown. Mesial impaction refers to a wisdom tooth growing towards the front of the mouth. With vertical impaction the tooth is straight but cannot grow upwards due to the teeth next to it. The teeth grow sideways with horizontal impaction. And when a wisdom tooth grows in the opposite direction to the adjacent tooth and becomes stuck in this position it is called a distal impaction.
While for many people their wisdom teeth will never cause a problem, if any of these forms of impaction occur it is normally advised to have the teeth removed. The position of the teeth can create pressure on the other teeth and gums causing serious issues later in life. And the unusual angle of the teeth can cause a build up of plaque in hard to reach areas, gradually causing tooth decay and gum disease.
If you begin to feel pain from your wisdom teeth as they begin to emerge you should visit your local dentist quickly. The sooner they are able to check the wisdom teeth the more options they have for dealing with them, making future complications and damage much less likely.