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Signs of an Impacted Wisdom Tooth

Impacted describes any tooth that never completely passes through the gums. Dentists and other health professionals consider even partially emerged teeth impacted. Wisdom teeth, which are the back molars in your mouth that appear in your late teens, frequently become impacted because the mouth often has no room for them. Sometimes impacted wisdom teeth don't display many symptoms, but there are signs you can look for.

  1. No Wisdom Teeth

    • According to Medline Plus, the National Institute of Health's website, you should notice wisdom teeth appearing in your mouth between ages of 17 to 21. If you are older and your wisdom teeth haven't emerged, they are probably impacted. Look for swelling or red tissue around the space where your wisdom teeth never appeared. You could also gently press on the gums in those areas, which will be behind the back molars on the top and bottom of your mouth. Gum tenderness in the toothless areas is another sign of impacted wisdom teeth.

    Bad Breath

    • Impacted wisdom teeth trap plaque, food and other materials in the tissue surrounding tooth. This is especially true with partially emerged impacted wisdom teeth. Your partially impacted wisdom teeth get caries and cavities, if you haven't noticed them or can't easily reach them and therefore have neglected to brush or floss them. The tissue surrounding the impacted wisdom teeth might become infected, which would also result in bad breath and a persistent, unpleasant taste in your mouth.

    Pain and Discomfort

    • MayoClinic.com and Medline Plus say symptoms for impacted wisdom teeth include a host of pain-related problems. Potential pain problems include swelling near your jaw or lymph nodes; a persistent headache; and pain in the gums around the impacted tooth. You might notice that you occasionally have difficultly opening your mouth. According to the University of Georgia University Health Center, pain and discomfort might be the least of your problems: Impacted wisdom teeth are associated with tumors and cysts.

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