Causes and risk factors:
Wisdom tooth usually erupts between the age of 17-25 years. Failure of eruption of wisdom tooth occurs if the size of the tooth is large as compared to the socket in the jaw. Wisdom tooth is the last to erupt, in cases where the mouth is already crowded due to other teeth and no place remains for the teeth to erupt it gets impacted. It tries to erupt laterally or wherever it gets a way out to move other than normal position.
Clinical presentations:
The wisdom tooth can either be fully impacted or partial impaction of tooth can occur. Patient with impacted wisdom tooth can give rise to symptoms like pain in teeth and difficulty in chewing food. The pain is severe and it can radiate to ear or can cause temporal headache. Redness and swelling of the gums can be seen. Halitosis is the other presenting symptoms. The impacted wisdom tooth can cause pressure on the second molar. Due to the existing pain as brushing becomes difficult. The food logged can give rise to caries. Pericoronitis is the common complication seen.
Diagnosis and investigations:
The symptoms narrated by the patient and the local examination carried out by the dentist will help in confirming the diagnosis. A dental X ray is diagnostic.
Treatment:
Pain reliving medicines are given to relief the pain. Under local anesthesia surgical removal of the wisdom tooth is done.
