Wisdom tooth pain can be debilitating. It is a common dental problem we see in our No Gaps Dental practices. These teeth can cause severe pain as they erupt through the gums.
While some people never experience any discomfort beyond the initial growing pains, others are plagued with wisdom tooth symptoms like sinus issues, swollen and tender gums, bad breath and jaw pain.
If you notice pressure or pain in the back of your jaw, it may be caused by your wisdom teeth. Contact No Gaps Dental to book a wisdom teeth exam because it is important to have your wisdom teeth evaluated and possibly removed to alleviate your pain and protect your oral health.
What Are Wisdom Teeth?
Wisdom teeth are the third molars at the back of your mouth. Most people have four wisdom teeth, but it is not uncommon to have only one, two or three. If and when they emerge, wisdom teeth grow in behind the second molars, the backmost molars on your upper and lower jaws.
These teeth are usually the last to grow in. Most people’s wisdom teeth begin to emerge in their teens or twenties, typically between 17 and 25 years old.
Common Signs of an Impacted Wisdom Tooth?
Many people experience issues with their wisdom teeth because most people don’t have enough space for their wisdom teeth to emerge through their gums. If you experience any of these symptoms, you may have an impacted wisdom tooth:
- Wisdom teeth can become impacted, placing pressure on the molar next to them, causing discomfort.
- An impacted wisdom tooth can experience an infection called pericoronitis due to food debris and bacteria trapped underneath the gum flap at the back of the dental arch, adding to your discomfort.
- The gums around the wisdom tooth can also become infected, tender and swollen, causing extreme pain. Because the swelling is close to the muscles that control your jaw, it can be difficult to open and close your mouth.
- It can also be painful when you bite down since the tooth on the opposite jaw can press on your swollen gums.
- Wisdom teeth can be challenging to clean properly, leading to deep decay, which can cause a painful infection called pulpitis.
- A decayed wisdom tooth can cause an abscess to form at the tooth’s root. An abscess is a pocket of pus caused by a bacterial infection. If left untreated, the infection can spread to the surrounding tissue and may become life-threatening.
- An impacted tooth can cause gum infections which can develop into a dentigerous cyst. A dentigerous cyst is a fluid-filled sac that is mostly harmless but can cause severe discomfort due to the pressure on the tooth and jawbone.
- Because the maxillary sinus is located close to the upper dental arch, you may experience wisdom tooth pain when you get a sinus infection like sinusitis. Inflammation in the sinuses creates pressure on the wisdom teeth, and pain in the sinuses can radiate down into the jaw.
- When a wisdom tooth becomes infected, the byproducts produced by the bacteria can cause you to have bad breath. Bad breath can also be caused by post-nasal drip due to impacted wisdom teeth placing pressure on sinuses, causing congestion.
Wisdom Tooth Pain Solutions
Many people experience pain associated with their wisdom teeth. There are several remedies that you can use at home if you are experiencing mild wisdom tooth pain.
While you can manage pain at home, you should always speak with a dental health professional to better understand the cause of your discomfort and determine the best treatment method for your specific pain. Wisdom tooth pain solutions include:
Over-the-counter pain medication
Some over-the-counter pain medications can relieve mild wisdom tooth pain. Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, Aspirin, and Naproxen are widely available and can alleviate some discomfort.
Mouth rinses
Some mouth rinses can relieve mild gum pain. Look for medicated or antibacterial mouthwashes and swish 30ml around your mouth several times a day to clean the wisdom tooth site and reduce discomfort.
However, avoid mouthwashes containing alcohol as this may irritate or dry out the gum tissue around the wisdom tooth.
Ice pack
You can use an ice pack to reduce swelling associated with painful wisdom teeth. Wrap the ice pack in a towel and apply it to the affected area intermittently for 15 to 20 minutes, then 15 to 20 minutes off every few hours.
Numbing gel
An over-the-counter numbing gel can help reduce discomfort at the site of wisdom tooth pain. These gels contain active ingredients that dull pain, including benzocaine and lidocaine.
Wisdom Tooth Removal
In most cases, your dentist will recommend wisdom tooth removal to eliminate your pain. There are two types of wisdom tooth removal procedures: simple and complex.
Simple extraction
A simple extraction is recommended when the wisdom tooth has erupted through the gum line and is decayed or is causing overcrowding and misalignment. During a simple extraction, your dentist applies a numbing gel to the area and then injects a local anaesthetic into your gum tissue around the tooth to numb the area.
They use a dental elevator to loosen the tooth in the socket before removing it with forceps. They then pack the area with gauze, helping it form a blood clot.
Complex extraction
Complex wisdom tooth extractions are necessary for impacted teeth or wisdom teeth located close to major nerves or blood vessels. A complex wisdom tooth extraction is performed under general anaesthetic or sedation and often requires admittance to a dental hospital.
After you are sedated, your dentist incises the gum tissue to expose the wisdom tooth underneath. In some cases, they also need to remove a layer of bone that has grown over the tooth. The wisdom tooth may need to be sectioned for easier removal, and once your dentist extracts the pieces, they suture the wound closed and pack the area with gauze.
Wisdom Tooth Removal Aftercare
After your wisdom tooth removal surgery, you may experience some discomfort as the anaesthetic wears off. It is normal to have mild pain, swelling, or bleeding for around two to three days after the surgery. You can minimise post-surgical pain by following your dentist’s aftercare instructions, including:
Avoid strenuous activity
After surgery, rest with your head elevated on a pillow to facilitate wound drainage and prevent swelling for the first few days. You should also avoid activities or exercises that involve bending or lifting heavy items; these activities can increase your cranial blood pressure, potentially dislodging the blood clot and causing excessive bleeding or dry socket.
Eat a soft food diet
Hard, crunchy, or crumbly food can irritate the surgical site and cause pain or infection if food particles become trapped in the socket.
Your dentist may recommend eating a non-chew diet consisting of meals and snacks like smoothies, vegetable mashes, lukewarm broths and blended soups, scrambled eggs, and steamed white fish.
Ensure your food choices are nutrient-dense to support your body during your recovery. Check what to eat after wisdom teeth removal.
Avoid drinking through a straw
When consuming foods and beverages, avoid drinking through a straw because this can create negative pressure inside the mouth and dislodge the blood clot. This can expose the bone and nerve endings resulting in a painful secondary condition called dry socket, which usually requires another visit to the dentist for relief.
Rinse with saline solution
Avoid brushing or rinsing for at least 48 hours after surgery. Once you start brushing, you can also use a saline solution to remove food debris and bacteria to reduce the risk of infection. You can make the salt water solution at home using one teaspoon of table salt mixed with one cup of warm water.
Swish the solution gently from side to side in your mouth every morning and evening and after eating, but don’t spit. Let the solution fall into the sink from your mouth.
Potential Complications After Wisdom Tooth Removal
Although extraction is an effective way to eliminate wisdom tooth pain, in rare cases, you may experience complications following surgery that require an immediate visit to your dentist. Some health complications that can occur include:
Trismus
If the jaw and gum tissue become significantly inflamed after the surgery, it may limit your ability to open and close your jaw (trismus). If the issue does not resolve after several days, you may need to visit your dentist for a prescription for a muscle relaxant to allow you to eat and speak normally.
Lip numbness
Your wisdom teeth are located close to the inferior alveolar nerve, a mandibular nerve branch that provides sensation to the lower jaw. If this nerve is damaged during surgery, it can lead to temporary or permanent lip numbness, depending on the extent of the damage.
Alveolar osteitis
Alveolar osteitis (dry socket) occurs when the blood clot inside the tooth socket is removed or dissolved, and the nerve endings are exposed to the air and food debris. This can lead to intense sharp pain at the extraction site that radiates along the jaw. You must contact your dentist immediately if you experience painful symptoms so they can clean and seal the wound site.
Alternatives to Extraction
Depending on your wisdom teeth and the overall picture of your oral health, your dentist may elect not to treat your wisdom teeth with extraction.
A coronectomy is a procedure where your dentist removes the crown of the wisdom tooth but leaves the root intact in your jaw.
A good candidate for a coronectomy is typically someone with a non-infected wisdom tooth that has grown around the alveolar nerve and is at high risk for nerve damage.
During your consultation, your dentist will perform X-rays to assess the location and angle of the wisdom tooth to determine whether a coronectomy or extraction is the right treatment option.
A coronectomy is still a dental surgery, and the recovery will be similar to wisdom tooth removal.
How to Care for Your Wisdom Teeth?
An important part of good oral health is caring for your wisdom teeth. If they begin to emerge, take care to thoroughly brush and floss them like you do your other teeth. If you struggle to clean your wisdom teeth properly, consider investing in an electric toothbrush with a smaller oscillating head and a dental floss threader or Waterpik to access hard-to-reach places.
Schedule a Wisdom Tooth Assessment with No Gaps Dental
If you are experiencing wisdom tooth pain or any other symptoms of infection or impaction, contact the experienced dental professionals at No Gaps Dental. Our team has decades of combined experience treating patients in our 15 locations.
We are proud to offer the latest dental technologies, including IV sedation, to help you feel comfortable during your wisdom tooth removal procedure. Contact No Gaps Dental on (02) 8007 6727 or at a location near you or via our online form to arrange your consultation.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
References
The wisdom behind the third molars removal: A prospective study of 106 cases
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8346357/
Impacted Wisdom Teeth
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/wisdom-teeth/symptoms-causes/syc-20373808#:~:text=
Indications for extraction of third molars: a review of 1763 cases
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18408783/
Impacted wisdom teeth
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8346357/
Impacted wisdom teeth
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/wisdom-teeth/symptoms-causes/syc-20373808
Why Do We Have Wisdom Teeth?
https://scienceline.org/2007/02/ask-cooper-wisdomteeth/
The functional matrix hypothesis revisited. 3. The genomic thesis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9294365/
Coronectomy as a surgical approach to impacted mandibular third molars: a systematic review
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4397866/
Coronectomy; Good or Bad?
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26749790/