Wisdom teeth
Difficulties with cleaning:
Wisdom teeth are the teeth that erupt last, usually at the age of 18-24. As they are located at the back of each jaw, they don’t always have enough room to emerge fully. Wisdom teeth that are partially covered by gums in this way can be difficult to keep clean (fig. I). Plaque and food debris can then settle under the gums and result in troublesome inflammation around the tooth (fig. II). Typical signs of such inflammation are pain, swelling of the gums around the partially erupted tooth and gaping difficulties. There may also be an unpleasant odor or taste from the area due to the bacterial infection. If you have such problems related to a wisdom tooth, the dentist can rinse away the bacteria and thus temporarily solve the problem (fig. III-IV). Sometimes antibiotics are also needed to calm the infection. Wisdom teeth that are predisposed to this type of problem should be removed.
- Figur I
- Figur II
- Figur III
Cavities in the teeth:
Another common problem with wisdom teeth is caries (cavities). Difficulty with cleaning can, over time, cause cavities to develop in the wisdom tooth itself (fig. V), or in the front tooth (fig. VI).
- Figur V
- Figur IV
A wisdom tooth with a cavity can often be repaired with a filling, but in many cases it may make sense to have it removed. A completely erupted wisdom tooth can often be removed with regular tooth extraction. If the roots are complicated or the tooth is not fully erupted, surgery may be required to remove it. In both cases, the procedure is performed under local anesthesia.