You know that wisdom teeth get impacted, but do you know what “impacted” means? Or why they hurt so much?

Wisdom teeth, also known as your third molars, are the last teeth that you grow – or “erupt” – as an adult. Most of us have four, two each on the bottom and top jaws.

When these teeth do not fully erupt into the mouth because of a blockage, dentists say they are “impacted.” Such impactions can cause a great deal of pain, damage to neighboring teeth, and other dental problems. In some cases the blockage can be caused by your jaw simply not being big enough to accommodate more teeth.

There is no way to prevent wisdom teeth from becoming impacted. No amount of clean living or tooth brushing will prevent these teeth from coming in the wrong way if that is the way they are aimed.

Dentists will often opt to remove impacted teeth even if they are not causing any pain because they are heard to clean and so become more susceptible to gum disease and tooth decay. Furthermore, the oral surgery is more likely to have complications the later in the patient's life it is performed.

Besides the pain in your jaw, impacted wisdom teeth may impart any of the following symptoms as well:

· Difficulty opening your mouth

· Red or swollen gums

· Tender or bleeding gums

· Bad breath

· Swelling around the jaw

· An unpleasant taste in your mouth

Your dentist will discover impacted wisdom teeth as part of routine check-ups if you are otherwise asymptomatic. If there is any kind of infection, periodontal disease, cysts, tumors, or tooth decay caused as a result of the impacted tooth, extraction will almost inevitably be prescribed.

The tooth removal will be performed under local or general anesthesia, and almost always as an outpatient procedure.

Sources: American Dental Association