Wisdom teeth are the last set of molars to arrive, usually between ages 17 and 25. Unfortunately, they don’t always come in smoothly – they can cause severe discomfort when they become impacted or misaligned.
Don’t worry – we’re here to tell you all about wisdom teeth pain so that you know what to expect!
When Is Wisdom Tooth Pain Considered To Be The Norm?
Like babies, who experience the ache during their primary dentition, adults are also likely to feel wisdom tooth pain, when the third molars cut through the gum line.
This kind of ache is niggling and certainly annoying, but bearable enough. Additionally, natural wisdom tooth eruption pain is often accompanied by the sensation of pressure along the supportive gum line.
However, if wisdom tooth pain is intolerable, lasts more than a week, or is accompanied with at least one of the warning signs below, it is actually time to turn to professional dental help.
How to Determine if Wisdom Tooth Pain is Associated with Impaction?
According to ADA experts, the most common reason for prolonged wisdom tooth pain is impaction of the third molar. This means that the impacted wisdom tooth has failed to cut through the gums and, therefore, partially or fully remains below the gum line.
Impaction commonly develops due to the patient’s small jaw size or large teeth, which simply leaves no space for the new wisdom tooth to emerge into. Additionally, many dental care professionals believe that impacted third molars might follow hereditary traits.
Impacted wisdom tooth pain is usually accompanied by acute swelling, prolonged third molar teething signs, and physical manifestations as in the case of partial impaction. Such wisdom tooth pain requires immediate professionally assisted extraction or even dental surgery.
How to Determine Misalignment-Associated Wisdom Tooth Pain?
The misalignment of third molars is believed to be the second most common source of wisdom tooth pain. However, occasionally third molars reveal no painful signs, except for the actual physically apparent misalignment.
Misaligned wisdom tooth pain arrives when the molar is badly crooked and, therefore, causes irritation to the gum, cheek, or even tongue.
What is more, misaligned third molars considerably hinder cleaning and, therefore, are more prone to tooth decay or any other dental infection. Naturally, you will experience acute misaligned wisdom tooth pain, as the infection enters it.
Misaligned wisdom tooth pain requires consultation with your dentist, followed by development of an adequate treatment plan.
When Is Wisdom Tooth Pain Caused by Infection?
Not only misaligned third molars, but also healthy ones are considerably more prone to tooth decay or other dental infections due to their very location. By far the most severe one is pericoronitis, which affects the supportive gum of an inconveniently located tooth and causes pain in the affected wisdom tooth, as well as gum swelling and difficulty in opening the mouth.
Both tooth decay and pericoronitis call for immediate professional treatment, aimed at removing the infection and relieving the wisdom tooth pain. To avoid infection and consequent wisdom tooth pain, you should pay the closest attention to your third molars when brushing your teeth and regularly visit your dental care provider for check-ups.
When Should I Get Concerned about My Wisdom Tooth Pain?
Prolonged and acute wisdom tooth pain, especially when accompanied by obvious signs of impaction is always ample reason to visit your dentist. Apart from that, you should get highly concerned with your wisdom tooth pain if it is accompanied by apparent swelling of your gum, foul breath, or bad taste warning signs.
Acute gum swelling or numbness, pus drainage, not to mention pus-filled pockets, obviously need urgent medical management. Carefully monitor the nature of your wisdom tooth pain. Get concerned if you feel difficulty, not to mention ache, when opening your mouth.
Do not hesitate to immediately contact your dental care provider if you experience acute wisdom tooth pain when biting or simply chewing and the ache is reflected by the supporting gum line. Earache and painful blisters on the gums or cheeks are also warning signs of infection, especially when accompanied by wisdom tooth pain.
You should not waste a day to seek medical support if your wisdom tooth pain is accompanied by swelling of the lymph nodes, jaw, or face, not to mention fever and jaw spasms.
How Is Wisdom Tooth Pain Treated?
Wisdom tooth pain management tactics depend on its source and accompanying symptoms. For instance, the natural wisdom tooth pain associated with their eruption is successfully alleviated with homemade mouthwashes and compresses and rarely requires the use of pain killers.
The management of infection-associated wisdom tooth pain commonly requires taking antibiotics and, sometimes, additional dental procedures or medications aimed at elimination of the underlying dental disease triggering the infection.
Unfortunately, painful badly misaligned, not to mention impacted, third molars require extraction as the only way to alleviate wisdom tooth pain.
Painful misaligned and partially impacted third molars are pulled out exactly like any other permanent teeth, whereas fully impacted ones require special dental surgery for removal.
In addition, your oral surgeon will prescribe you medications and a liquid diet to relieve the pain during the dental surgery recovery period, after which your wisdom tooth pain will recede.
Finally, remember that the wisdom tooth pain management tactics should be developed by a dental care provider only. Remember that self-diagnosis and delayed treatment might considerably worsen your painful third molars condition, whereas prior monitoring not-yet-erupted wisdom teeth will help you to avoid pain, swelling, and bleeding complications, and consequently, forget about the removal procedure.
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Anatomy of Wisdom Teeth: Understanding the structure and location of wisdom teeth in the mouth
Wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, are the last set of teeth to develop and appear in the mouth. These teeth usually emerge between the ages of 17 and 25, but their development may vary considerably among individuals. They are located at the back of the mouth, behind the second molars, and there are usually four wisdom teeth, one in each quadrant of the mouth.
The anatomy of wisdom teeth is different from that of the other teeth. Unlike the other teeth, wisdom teeth have a flatter and broader crown, which is often not well formed, and they may also have multiple roots. This can make them more challenging to extract in some cases. Additionally, the position of wisdom teeth may be impacted or partially impacted, which means that they do not fully emerge from the gum line, and they may be angled or tilted.
The location of wisdom teeth in the mouth can lead to various problems, such as impaction, infection, and overcrowding. Impacted wisdom teeth occur when the teeth do not have enough space to erupt properly, causing them to grow at an angle or become trapped beneath the gum line. Impacted wisdom teeth may cause pain, swelling, infections, and cysts. Furthermore, wisdom teeth can also cause overcrowding, pushing the other teeth forward and causing misalignment of the bite.
In conclusion, understanding the anatomy and location of wisdom teeth is essential for maintaining good oral health. Regular dental check-ups are recommended, especially during the late teenage years or early adulthood when wisdom teeth are most likely to emerge. If you experience any pain or discomfort in the back of your mouth, it is essential to seek dental advice promptly, as this may be a sign of wisdom tooth problems.
