Your wisdom teeth refer to the last of your molars to grow out. Most people have 4 wisdom teeth; one on each side of the upper and lower jaws, and will come in your late teens to early twenties.
Sometimes, your wisdom teeth coming in will result in trauma due to lack of space, causing a broken wisdom tooth that will require wisdom teeth extraction.
When your wisdom tooth breaks, it is important to seek professional help as soon as possible, as many complications could arise if it is left untreated (Colgate, n.d.).
You might notice your own wisdom tooth is cracked if you hear a sound when it cracks, or by looking in the mirror. However, for some cases, you might not notice that your wisdom tooth cracked until your dentist conducts an x-ray, so it is important for young people to regularly visit the dentist to monitor your wisdom teeth.
What Happens to a Broken Wisdom Tooth
A hole exposed due to broken teeth can render the tooth more vulnerable to decay and infections. An untreated infection could easily lead to gum infections that could even spread to other parts of your body, which is definitely detrimental to your overall health.
Hence, it is essential to call your dentist immediately after your wisdom tooth breaks.
Broken Wisdom Teeth Extraction
When your wisdom tooth is broken, your dentist may conduct an x-ray and survey the area and the tooth before deciding on how to treat it.
If the tooth is positioned in a place in your mouth such that it helps you to chew and eat properly, your dentist might treat it like a normal broken tooth if the damage is not extensive, and choose to save the tooth with filling.
On the other hand, if there is significant damage to any tooth, your dentist would normally choose to reconstruct the tooth with filling and a realistic-looking dental crown instead. However, if it is an extensively broken wisdom tooth, your dentist might suggest wisdom teeth extraction.
However, if the broken wisdom tooth is impacted, meaning they are coming in but there is no space in your mouth to grow properly and fully, your dentist may decide to remove it. In these cases, the wisdom tooth is probably not helping you chew, so wisdom teeth extraction will probably be beneficial by preventing infection and disease in the broken wisdom tooth.
Wisdom Tooth Care
If you are lucky enough to have sufficient space in your mouth for your wisdom teeth to grow, it is very important that you give proper care to your wisdom teeth to keep it healthy.
Because wisdom teeth grow far at the back of your mouth, you may find them difficult to reach and care for, but you cannot ignore them lest they decay and you will require a wisdom teeth extraction anyway.
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Always, try your best to reach your wisdom teeth at the back of your mouth with your brush and floss to clean them and keep them healthy.