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Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to develop in adults. They tend to come through when patients are in their late teenage years or in their early twenties but sometimes it occur earlier or later as everybody is different. They are large teeth, the purpose of which is to grind up food at the rear of the mouth with the other molars. Because of their size and the fact that they are erupting into a mouth already full of teeth, the process can sometimes be rather painful for the patient and advice from dental professionals is often sought.
Problems can occur when there is simply not enough space and the wisdom teeth have trouble breaking the gum. Sometimes they will appear at an odd angle as they strive to fit into the small amount of space which is available. If this happens, professionals would say that your wisdom teeth are ‘impacted’. You might notice that there are swellings at the very rear of your gums and persistent or even constant pain emanating from the area.
It is worth seeking advice from your London dentist should this begin to happen because action might need to be taken. In many cases nothing needs to be done as the mouth will sort itself out, but heavily impacted wisdom teeth can be prone to cavities because they are more difficult to clean, such is the lack of space. In some instances, your dentist might decide that it is necessary to cut away some of the gum so that tooth can come through with greater ease and antibiotics can be prescribed for pain relief and to ensure that no infection takes hold. In some cases the teeth need to be removed.