Wisdom Teeth: Why They Cause Unbearable Pain and How to Treat Them

We often overlook our oral well-being until challenges arise with our teeth or gums. For mild and unmotivated brushing can only do so much. 

One of the many oral health challenges people face is the growth of wisdom teeth.

Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars that grow during the late teens or early twenties in the rear end of the mouth. When healthy and adequately aligned, wisdom teeth can be a valuable asset to the mouth, but they are often misaligned and require removal as most of us have a full mouth of teeth around that age. The teeth often don't have space to develop accurately.

Some distress often accompanies wisdom teeth. Various symptoms like unbearable pain, bleeding, and soreness makes it essential to get your wisdom teeth removed. Here is a list of the signs and symptoms you might encounter that be risky until the tooth is extracted:

• Pain and Infection

One of the most noticeable signs that you need to get your wisdom teeth taken out is the pain and irritation at the tooth site and when you open your mouth. Your wisdom teeth usually erupt between the ages of 17 and 21, making them the last to arise in your mouth and, therefore, the most widely recognized teeth to become wedged-in or impacted. As there isn't sufficient space in the jaw or mouth for them to grow, rather than coming in straight, they can come in sideways, shifted or skewed in the jaw, squeezing toward the teeth in front of it, causing unbearable pain. 

• Stiffness in Jaw and Swollen Gums

As your wisdom teeth develop, they can push against your other teeth and make them move. This, in turn, can cause uneasiness in your jaw and make it feel stiff, sore, and hard to open. This can also cause swelling of both the gum at the back of the mouth or on the jaw.

• Sinus Problems and Eating Difficulty

You may be able to tell if your wisdom teeth are coming through if you experience sinus pain, congestion, and pressure, particularly in the upper jaw region. The development of wisdom teeth and the growth of foundations can push against sinuses right above and behind the mouth. Because of this tension, it can cause headaches and sinus pain.

• Cysts and Cavities

If wisdom teeth are ignored, they can cause cysts and other harmless jaw tumors, a sac of liquid that gets gathered and infects the region nearby. As a result, it will harm the root of your nearby teeth. This can lead to bone destruction - however, this is uncommon.

• Decay

Compared to different teeth, the partially grown wisdom teeth are presented with a lot bigger risk of tooth decay. The cause of this condition can be found in the way that, to some extent, partially impacted teeth are significantly harder to clean; therefore, bacteria and food can be easily caught between the tooth and the gum.

Ways to relieve painful wisdom teeth symptoms 

• Numbing gel

A numbing dental gel may help reduce feeling in the gums and dull the pain. These gels are obtainable over the counter and contain the active ingredient benzocaine. Most dental gels can be applied directly to the affected gums throughout the day. 

• Over-the-counter medicines

Over-the-counter pain relief medications can help reduce inflammation. They can help reduce inflammation of the gums associated with wisdom teeth development and may be effective for pain relief until a person can see a dentist for treatment.

• Ice pack

Using an ice pack to the jaw can help lower inflammation, which may relieve pain. Using ice can also have a numbing effect.

You can try holding an ice pack with a towel against their jaw for 15 minutes.

• Saltwater rinse

Rinsing with salt water may help treat the infection and reduce the pain as saltwater has disinfectant properties. Rinsing the mouth with salt water two or three times a day or until the pain reduces is ideal.

• Visit your dentist

Wisdom teeth may cause severe problems and pain. Although the ways mentioned above help you relieve the pain and can help you numb the pain, they are temporary solutions. Visiting a dentist for impacted wisdom teeth removal is the best and most permanent way of ensuring a symptom-free mouth. Removing a wisdom tooth is a safe and effective way to prevent your symptoms from coming back.