Weird Dental Facts: Why Wisdom Teeth Grow Sideways

There are plenty of bizarre and surprising dental facts, and wisdom teeth are a strange phenomenon in and of themselves. No one’s 100% sure why humans develop wisdom teeth in the first place, so it’s an extra-special type of weird when they do things like grow sideways!

Now, unlike the origins of these third molars, experts do have a good idea of why they tend to be “vertically challenged” – and how that can impact your long-term oral health. Keep reading to learn more!

The Cause: Lack of Space

Oddly enough, most people simply don’t have enough space in their mouth to accommodate a set of third molars. Since there’s nowhere else for them to go, wisdom teeth either push already erupted pearly whites out of the way – or become trapped below the gumline and grow sideways.

The Problem: Impaction

As fascinating as it is, sideways-growing wisdom teeth do pose a big problem for long-term oral health. When pearly whites get fully or partially trapped below the gumline, it’s known as “impaction.” Impacted teeth can start invading the space of nearby tissue, bone, and nerves, causing discomfort, damage, and in some cases, infection.

Since impacted wisdom teeth can’t “reroute” themselves, they’ll only create more complications as time goes on. Treatment is needed in order to preserve dental wellness.

The Solution: Extraction

Impacted wisdom teeth can’t stay in your mouth, which means they must come out! Fortunately, modern extractions aren’t as scary as they might look on TV. Your emergency dentist will administer a local anesthetic or any requested dental sedation to help you feel comfortable and at ease. Then they’ll make an incision in your gums so they can access the third molar. This is where even wisdom tooth extractions can get a little strange – your dentist will have to cut the tooth into smaller pieces for safe removal!

Wisdom teeth will probably continue to weird-out dentists and patients alike, but even though they’re still mysterious in some ways, it’s good to know there are effective solutions for dealing with them. When impacted third molars threaten your oral health, simply contact your emergency dentist, and they’ll take care of the rest!

About the Practice

Dr. Steven Branberg and Dr. Eric Cancemi combine their experience in dentistry and anesthesiology to provide patients with quality (and comfortable) dental care. If your wisdom teeth are growing sideways or causing pain, call their office at 817-440-7133. Dr. Branberg and Dr. Cancemi will schedule you for the next available appointment and see you on a same-day basis if possible!