How Impaired Wisdom Teeth Can Affect Your Ability to Get Wisdom Teeth Removed For Braces
Many children and young adults are treated with braces to fix crooked teeth, align bites or malocclusions, and create space for permanent teeth to grow into proper position.
But, a common question among these patients is whether they should get their wisdom teeth removed before starting treatment. The answer to this question largely depends on your dentist’s assessment.
Impacted Teeth
When a person has an impacted tooth, it can affect their ability to get wisdom teeth removed for braces. This is because impacted teeth are hard to erupt properly.
Impacted teeth can come from a variety of causes. Some of these include dense overlying bone, excessive soft tissue, and a genetic abnormality.
An impacted tooth may also be crowded, making it difficult for other permanent teeth to grow in. This can lead to crowding, infections, tooth damage, and other problems.
When a person has an impacted tooth, they should see an orthodontist right away to get it corrected. Orthodontic treatment can help reposition the impacted tooth so it can erupt properly.
Crowding
Crowding is a common problem that occurs when there’s not enough room in your jaw for all of the adult teeth to fit properly. In some cases, this can lead to crooked teeth.
The condition can be diagnosed early on, even before wisdom teeth begin to erupt. Your orthodontist will evaluate your teeth to determine whether you have a problem with overcrowding.
You can usually get orthodontic treatment for crowded teeth with braces or Invisalign. This can solve the problem for good and ensure that your teeth grow into their proper positions.
However, crowding can sometimes return over time, requiring orthodontic treatment again in the future. Extracting wisdom teeth before treatment with braces can prevent this from happening.
You may be worried about the impact that emerging wisdom teeth have on your or your child’s orthodontic treatment. While this is a common misconception, it’s actually not true.
Infection
If a wisdom tooth becomes infected, this can affect your ability to get wisdom teeth removed for braces. Chronic infections can also cause your immune system to become weakened, which can increase your risk of developing serious diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure.
Pain and inflammation of the jaw, ear or face surrounding a wisdom tooth are often signs that the infection is spreading. If the infection goes untreated it can lead to facial swelling and compromise your airway, which is a medical emergency that requires immediate dental attention.
Because of their position at the back of your mouth, impacted wisdom teeth are more likely to develop cavities or infections than other teeth. They are also more difficult to clean because of their location. Rinsing with warm salt water can help alleviate symptoms, but it is important to brush and floss regularly to remove food particles and plaque. It’s also essential to schedule regular dental checkups with your dentist.
Pain
If you have pain or swelling around your wisdom teeth, it’s time to visit the doctor. This is usually a sign that infection has spread to the underlying bone and other tissue, or it may be related to tooth decay.
You can reduce pain by applying ice or heat to the painful area, drinking warm water, and using over-the-counter pain medicine such as Ibuprofen. If the pain doesn’t go away, schedule an appointment with your dentist or oral surgeon.
Your orthodontist will likely recommend getting your wisdom teeth removed for braces if they look like they will cause overcrowding in other teeth or orthodontic relapse. The decision to remove your wisdom teeth is based on a physical examination and an x-ray that shows how the teeth are growing out.
