If you’ve never had significant problems with your wisdom teeth, you’re a part of a shrinking minority of people. Most people’s mouths are too small to accommodate wisdom teeth fully growing in and that’s often a result of underdevelopment of their jaw. It should come as no surprise then that there can be some less than ideal effects of wisdom teeth.
Shrinking Jaws
Okay so they’re not exactly shrinking, but when observed over time, people do seem to be having more issues with their jaw development. This trending underdevelopment is likely the result of:
- Genetic factors
- Behavioral factors
- Diet
Smaller jaws are important for wisdom teeth because they typically erupt much later than the other teeth. While the rest of someone’s teeth have found their resting spot, the wisdom teeth often come in and disrupt that harmony and cause additional crowding. This crowding negatively affects the aesthetics of a person’s smile and leads them to a Doctor of Dental Surgery.
Other Effects of Wisdom Teeth
How else can wisdom teeth affect you? Quite a few ways actually. In addition to making someone’s smile less physically appealing, wisdom teeth can also lead to other more serious dental and general health issues. Some of those issues include:
- [link id=’114′ text=’TMJ pain‘ esc_html=’false’]
- Sinus problems
- Inflamed gums
- Cavities
- Cyst formation
TMJ Pain
One of the most common causes of wisdom tooth pain is impaction. As wisdom teeth come in, they often grow in at an angle and push up against your other teeth. Because there’s insufficient space for all of these teeth, the pressure often goes the other way and strains the jaw joint as well.
Enough strain and dysfunction on and around the jaw joint and patients can begin to experience symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD).
Sinus Problems
When the upper wisdom teeth begin to grow in, they can cause pressure to build up and lead to congestion, sinus pain, and headaches.
Inflamed Gums
Occasionally, when wisdom teeth come in, they create a thick flap of gum tissue next to the tooth where food particles can get stuck. Because wisdom teeth are at the far back of the mouth, the teeth can be harder to reach during cleaning, leaving food in the folds and inevitably leading to inflammation.
Cavities
Wisdom teeth come in at the back of the mouth, making them harder to clean, which makes it easier for bacteria to come in and create cavities.
Cyst Formation
Wisdom teeth are also known to cause cysts, or a pocket of fluid in the gums. These cysts can cause bone degeneration and often need to be removed along with the tooth to prevent further complications.
Next Steps
Even if your wisdom teeth aren’t affecting you now, it doesn’t mean they never will. As wisdom teeth come in they often bring unpleasant consequences with them and throw off the entire balance of the mouth.
For more information on TMJ disorder, jaw underdevelopment, and [link id=’115′ text=’treatment options‘ esc_html=’false’] schedule an appointment with Dr. Pamela Marzban by calling our offices at 703-349-4277.
