Missing milk teeth and the subsequent growth of their permanent counterparts is not typically an issue that parents will think to involve their family dentist in. Nonetheless, once your child becomes a teenager, the seemingly straightforward process of an emerging wisdom tooth can be plagued with complications. Before you decide that giving your kid over the counter pain medication will sufficiently rid them of their discomfort, consider the following reasons why it is important to take your teen to a family dentist when they begin complaining about a wisdom tooth.
The erupting wisdom tooth could be impacted
Despite tooth impaction begin a common problem that many adults and kids alike face, some people are not even sure of what this condition means. Impaction occurs when a tooth is emerging from the gums at an awkward angle. Hence, instead of erupting straight upwards out of the gum line, it ends up pushing against the surrounding teeth. The patient will then experience severe pain since the crown of the new tooth will collide with the roots of the pre-existing teeth. The only way to treat impaction is to schedule an appointment with your family dentist for tooth extraction, so you should not make the mistake of thinking this issue will resolve on its own.
The erupting wisdom could cause severe pain
The second reason why your child may need to see the family dentist due to their emerging wisdom tooth is if is causing them a great deal of discomfort. Unfortunately, impaction is not mandatory for your teenager to suffer. Other factors such as insufficient space in their jaw, swelling, acute inflammation and more will lead to intense pain that will negatively impact the patient's quality of life. As a result, you find that your teen is having trouble keeping up with their school work, is not getting enough sleep, has lost interest in their hobbies, and so on. A visit to the family dentist will help determine the best course of action, be it pain medication or extraction.
The erupting wisdom tooth could lead to a gum infection
Another common issue associated with the growth of wisdom teeth is the potential for gum infections. When this tooth has fractionally erupted, it leaves crevices between itself and the gums. If your teenager is not meticulous with their oral care routine, it is quite easy for particles of food to collect in these tiny fissures. With time, this debris rots, leading to gum disease. Rather than risk a severe oral infection, it would be best to have a family dentist extract the wisdom tooth.
