If there’s not enough room for the emerging wisdom teeth, your other teeth can shift and become crowded.

Wisdom teeth often only partially emerge, creating pockets where food can become lodged and create a breeding ground for bacteria. The bacteria will eventually irritate the gums causing swelling and pain, often traveling below the gum line to infect surrounding teeth and the jawbone. If left untreated, these infections can result in receding gum lines, weakened jaw bone, and lost teeth.

Impacted wisdom teeth may result in cysts inside the bone. If left untreated, the cysts will grow and destroy the surrounding bone.