Detriment of not diagnosing and treating wisdom teeth impactions
Of all of the teeth in the mouth, the wisdom teeth are the most likely to become impacted, or trapped in the bone or gum tissue. The wisdom teeth, also known as the third molars, are the largest teeth in the mouth, and the jaws of modern humans often are too small to accommodate them. When the wisdom teeth fail to erupt properly, a number of problems can result. Impacted wisdom teeth are more prone to infection than other teeth, and they can develop abscesses and tumors. Impacted third molars also can be very uncomfortable. Even if the wisdom teeth do erupt, they can crowd the other teeth, rendering years of orthodontic treatment totally useless. Wisdom teeth can also damage neighboring teeth and make them more susceptible to decay. To avoid these problems, patients should have their wisdom teeth extracted by an oral surgeon by age 25. Younger patients face…