What You Should Do If You Have Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Your oral health also affects your complete health and well-being. With regular dental care and cleanings, a multitude of oral problems can be prevented. However, from time to time, you may experience a painful problem that may creep up on you without notice.

One of the most painful oral problems is having impacted wisdom teeth. If impacted wisdom teeth are left without being treated, it can escalate into a debilitating problem. The moment you start experiencing oral pain, you should make an appointment with your dentist. Your dentist can identify and correct oral problems before they get worse and cause more painful damage. Here are five warning signs that you may have impacted wisdom teeth:

Pain in the back of the mouth
Impacted wisdom teeth can cause immense pain. You may experience a throbbing pain in the back of the mouth. An impacted tooth can also affect the surrounding molars. As the condition worsens, the pain will not only increase, but any adjacent teeth can become infected as well.

Tenderness And Bleeding Of The Gums

Impacted wisdom teeth affect your gums and can cause serious problems. If you begin to notice painful, swollen, tender or bleeding gums, during your daily oral routine, you may have impacted wisdom teeth. These symptoms can also be pointing to other types of gum disease so you should seek dental care immediately.

Swollen Jaw

A swollen jaw can be a sign of impacted wisdom teeth. You may notice that in the beginning, the pain isn’t as intense, but if you leave it untreated, the discomfort may increase. You may also have difficulty opening your mouth. Prolonged jaw aches should prompt you to seek oral care right away.

Headaches

Although there are many reasons why you may get a headache, you should pay attention to this symptom if it is persistent and you have one or two other symptoms mentioned in this article. Headaches caused by an impacted wisdom tooth often stems from the temporomandibular joint which connects the skull and jaw. A headache caused by impacted teeth may also cause pain in the face as well.

Swollen Glands

Although swollen lymph nodes could be a sign of other infections, impacted teeth can also cause swollen glands in the neck and shoulder.

Bad Breath/Unpleasant Taste

Bad breath, in general, can signify a host of oral problems. However, if you are experiencing any of the above symptoms along with bad breath along with any unpleasant taste in your mouth, you should call your dentist as soon as possible.

If you think you may have impacted wisdom teeth due to one or more of the above warning signs, call your dentist for an immediate appointment. Leaving a dental problem untreated could worsen and cause further damage to your teeth and gums.

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About Scott Kupetz

Scott-kupetz-DMD

With over 30 years of dental experience, Scott Kupetz is one of the top dentists in the area providing various oral health and dental work services to Orange County, Westchester County, Dutchess County, NYC, Albany County and Schenectady County. Dr. Kupetz, DDM caters to patients who struggle with high anxiety and dental phobias by providing sedation options to help you overcome your fears.

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