{"id":41919,"date":"2022-02-03T22:07:39","date_gmt":"2022-02-03T10:07:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.citydentists.co.nz\/dental-blog\/?p=41919"},"modified":"2025-03-25T08:41:27","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T20:41:27","slug":"smart-ways-to-handle-impacted-wisdom-teeth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.citydentists.co.nz\/dental-blog\/smart-ways-to-handle-impacted-wisdom-teeth\/","title":{"rendered":"Smart ways to handle impacted wisdom teeth"},"content":{"rendered":"

When any of your third molars are unable to take their proper place, they are at great risk of becoming an impacted tooth. The experienced dentists at City Dentists in Wellington can help with wisdom tooth removal both before or after you are experiencing jaw pain resulting from the impacted wisdom tooth.<\/p>\n

We know dental surgery is nobody\u2019s idea of a good time, but we urge all of our patients to get regular X-rays so we can identify a potential problem early to plan for removal that will avoid complications like gum infection or bad breath. Wisdom tooth removal is an everyday part of our work as dental professionals, and we will be happy to make you as comfortable with the procedure<\/a> as possible.<\/p>\n

The life cycle of a wisdom tooth<\/h2>\n

The teeth we refer to as our wisdom teeth are our third molars. They\u2019re typically the final four adult teeth to come through the gums, usually erupting in our late teens or early 20s. Where there is space for them to descend normally into the mouth, they are the teeth closest to the very back of our mouths. And as molars, they are among our strongest teeth. Together with our tongue, they do the work of mashing and grinding food for us to swallow.<\/p>\n

All too often, though, surrounding teeth crowd out space where a wisdom tooth should exist \u2014 leading to an impacted tooth. A wisdom tooth can be painfully problematic when it becomes impacted. This means the tooth is not able to erupt through the gums because it is growing sideways, blocked by another tooth or stymied by a cyst. When the tooth is stuck underneath the gums or partially emerges, it can cause pain, gum infection and tooth decay. A neighbouring tooth may be affected, too.<\/p>\n

Regular dental X-rays will help dentists identify impacted wisdom teeth early. Wisdom teeth are easier to remove<\/a> before they are two-thirds formed, so this is an important metric. When their roots have grown longer, there is a greater risk of nerve damage when extracting a wisdom tooth.<\/p>\n

The tooth may be seen on X-rays stuck in the jawbone, coming in sideways or lying at a right angle below other teeth. Having this information before symptoms become present \u2014 or even just to confirm the reason for symptoms like jaw pain \u2014 will help the dentist to decide if extraction is warranted. Dentists typically consider:<\/p>\n