What makes a wisdom tooth impacted

A dentist may clean the teeth and prescribe antibiotics , but if the problem returns, the teeth may need removing. If a wisdom tooth is painful or troublesome, or if it causes damage to other teeth or the jaw bone, it will be taken out. An oral surgeon will need to see a patient if an existing medical condition puts them at a higher risk of complications. Dentists cannot accurately predict which wisdom teeth are going to cause problems.

However, the angle at which the tooth erupts and the extent to which it pushes against other teeth can offer a clue. How straightforward the operation is will depend on the position of the tooth or teeth to be removed.

After having the tooth or teeth removed, there may be pain and swelling for a few days. Painkillers such as ibuprofen can help sometimes antibiotics might be prescribed. The dentist will advise on mouthwashes.

If there are stitches, they may need to be removed about a week later. It is important to relax and to avoid alcohol and smoking for at least 24 hours, to make sure there are no bleeding problems. Some patients have problems during or after the extraction of their wisdom teeth, but these are not usually serious. Nerve damage can occur in nearby teeth, when the wisdom tooth is removed.

This can lead to numbness or paralysis in the lip, tongue, or cheek. A dry socket, or alveolar osteitis, is when a blood clot does not form properly in the socket left by the wisdom tooth. This can lead to a throbbing pain. It can result from smoking, rinsing the area too soon after surgery, or sucking on it. Whether partially or fully impacted, the tooth may:. You can't keep an impaction from occurring, but keeping regular six-month dental appointments for cleaning and checkups enables your dentist to monitor the growth and emergence of your wisdom teeth.

Regularly updated dental X-rays may indicate impacted wisdom teeth before any symptoms develop. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Impacted wisdom teeth Open pop-up dialog box Close.

Impacted wisdom teeth Wisdom teeth are the last of your teeth to appear erupt in the mouth. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Wisdom teeth management. American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Because they may damage other teeth — or cause pain or infection — dentists or oral surgeons often remove impacted wisdom teeth.

Reviewed by: Larissa Hirsch, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. Wisdom teeth usually become impacted because the jaw doesn't have enough space for all the teeth that are growing in, or because the tooth comes in at the wrong angle and bumps into the tooth in front of it. Although some people never have any trouble with them, impacted wisdom teeth can cause problems.

An impacted wisdom tooth can sometimes trap food, plaque, and other debris in the soft tissue around it, leading to swelling, gum tenderness, cavities, and bad breath.