If your wisdom teeth are coming in, it can be quite painful. You might be wondering why this happens, especially since it can cause so much discomfort. This guide will help you understand everything about wisdom teeth, including why they can be such a literal pain in the neck.
Wisdom teeth are known for causing pain because they come in last, typically between the ages of 17-21, when your mouth is already full of teeth. Often, there isn’t enough room for them to grow properly, leading to a buildup of bacteria in and around the gums, which can cause pain and problems with your other molars.
These teeth grow at the very end of your jaw, both on the top and bottom rows. Modern medicine suggests that our ancestors needed wisdom teeth to grind nuts and grains in their plant-based diets. But nowadays, we don’t need these extra molars, and most dentists recommend removing them to avoid potential problems in the future.
You might wonder why they’re called wisdom teeth. It’s not because they make us smarter; rather, they get their name because they grow in later in life, when people are presumably “wiser” than when they got their other teeth.
There are several reasons why a dentist might suggest removing your wisdom teeth. They might be growing towards your other molars due to a lack of space, causing them to become ‘impacted.’ This means they only partially erupt, putting pressure on your other teeth and increasing the risk of infection and cysts. Plaque can also build up on impacted teeth, leading to issues with the roots and nerves of surrounding teeth.
Luckily, you don’t have to suffer through this. Dental professionals can perform a wisdom tooth extraction to relieve the pain of impacted teeth and prevent plaque buildup, which helps stop gum disease.
During the procedure, you can choose from different sedation options. For a simple extraction, a local anesthetic will numb the area. For more complicated cases, you might be sedated. The dentist will make a small incision at the base of the tooth, sever the nerve, and remove the tooth pieces, ensuring you are comfortable throughout. Pain medications will likely be prescribed to help with recovery.
It can take up to two weeks to fully recover from a wisdom tooth extraction. During this healing period, you will need to be careful with how you eat and drink, sticking to soft foods to avoid irritating the area.
While most people heal without problems, some might develop an infection, particularly smokers who don’t follow the dentist’s aftercare instructions. Smoking can introduce dirt into the wound, leading to conditions like ‘dry socket,’ which causes severe pain around the extraction site a few days post-surgery. Pain medications can help manage this pain.
Choosing not to have the surgery might lead to complications later. Wisdom teeth can develop a biofilm that causes decay, which is harder to clean than regular teeth. If they become impacted, hidden damage beneath the gums can occur.
Maintaining good oral health is essential for your overall well-being. Trust your dentist to safely remove your wisdom teeth so you can stay pain-free.