Wisdom teeth pain

Wisdom teeth often erupt between the ages of 18-24 however they can also erupt outside of these age ranges.

They are believed to have served an evolutionary purpose when tougher diets often meant loss of teeth at an earlier age and they would erupt to help with the deficit.

For this reason, in our day and age they can be surplus to requirements and we often do not have space for them to erupt.

For most people, they will erupt and only cause mild discomfort as they come through. For others they will cause considerable pain.

Some of the symptoms you might experience include: pain around your gums, difficulty opening mouth, bleeding/tender gums, pus coming from the gums and possibly swollen glands near the area.

You may notice the pain appear and then disappear. This could be happening over a long time period. The pain can be from the eruption process itself (this is often mild discomfort/pain) or from the local inflammation in the gum surrounding the wisdom tooth (Pericorinitis). Pericorinitis means the gums around the erupting wisdom tooth is inflamed as food and bacteria are trapped. The area then swells up and then the opposing tooth can bite on the inflamed area which makes the problem even worse.

Because of their position, wisdom teeth are also likely to get gum disease and decay as they can be difficult for patients to keep clean.

Self-Help Advice

• Pain killers – paracetamol/ibuprofen. Please ensure you read the label, are not allergic to the medication and do not exceed the maximum dosage
• Rinsing out with warm (not hot) salt rinses and/or using mouthwash (such as Corsodyl)
• Keeping the area as clean as possible

Professional Treatment Available (following detailed history and examination)

• Rinsing the area out with saline or deep cleaning the area to remove food/bacteria trapped
• Prescribing antibiotics if clinically justified
• Removing the offending wisdom tooth – this is often done via referral to a specialist oral surgeon