Despite the fancy name, mental teeth rarely improve our quality of life. Some people can have all four mental teeth erupt without any complications. However, in most patients there is simply not enough room in the jaw for these teeth.
This is because human diets have changed over the millennial, leaving less vitamin K2 in the diet, which leads to better calcium absorption. Gradually, people’s jaws began to shrink, leaving no room for the development of third molars, also known as mental teeth.
Growing mental teeth can lead to a variety of oral health and dental problems. When they grow crooked, cleaning the adjacent inter-dental spaces can be extremely difficult. The persistent food debris and plaque build-up in the inter-dental spaces creates the conditions for decay, which can lead to unpleasant symptoms (toothache, bad breath) and the need to remove the tooth itself.
But tooth and gum disease are not the only possible consequences of growing mental teeth. This process can also cause severe headaches.
This is because the human bite is already fully formed when the mental teeth erupt. As there is usually not enough space for additional teeth, the mental teeth start to “jostle” for space in the jaw, causing headaches.
Often, as the mental teeth erupt, it becomes painful to chew on that side of the jaw, and only the other side of the jaw is chewed. This puts an unusually heavy strain on the surrounding muscles, which can lead to increased pain in the head or pain in the neck and face.
We would like to stress that headaches can be caused by many different biological factors, so we advise you to look carefully for the causes. It is particularly important to bear in mind that during late puberty (17-21 years), when the mental teeth are erupting, the hormonal processes are particularly active and can often lead to prolific symptoms.
Recommendation from a dentist
How can I avoid this headache, which can cause additional stress and unpleasant situations? First of all, before your wisdom teeth erupt, we suggest that you come to CLINIC | DPC Dental Centre for an examination, during which we will assess whether there is enough space in your jaw for your wisdom teeth to erupt.
If there is not enough room for the mental teeth, we suggest that you do not wait until you start to feel discomfort or pain and remove them before they erupt. In a painless operation, all four mental teeth can be removed, preventing possible problems in the future.
You can register for a visit at your convenience by calling +370 632 00005 or by sending us an email. email [email protected]
