Many of our patients come to our convenient Downtown LA dental office for help with or with questions about impacted wisdom teeth pain. So we compiled quick guide to wisdom teeth, explaining why they can cause problems and what symptoms are usually associated with them.
Causes of Wisdom Teeth Pain
Wisdom teeth pain is a common problem. Third molars are the last teeth to erupt into the mouth. There are usually four, one in each corner of the mouth in the back. They usually erupt between the ages of 16 and 25, but can also appear much later. As wisdom teeth are the last molars to enter the mouth, there is often not enough space for them to fully come through. Therefore they may only partially erupt into the mouth or not erupt at all.
When there is enough room, they will come through into the mouth normally just like any other tooth. There may be some discomfort, including mild dental, pain as they are growing in, but this will clear up once the tooth finds its final position. Pain and other symptoms can arise when there is not sufficient room in the mouth. The tooth may become impacted. Tooth is considered impacted if it is blocked from erupting into the mouth fully. Thus it will grow at an angle or remain wedged against the tooth in front of it. Impacted wisdom teeth can cause a range of problems or be asymptomatic for a long time.
Among possible symptoms are:
- Pain and swelling of the gum overlying the impaction
- Bad breath or taste in the mouth, due to infection and/or debris buil up
- Pus coming out from the swollen gum area
- Difficulty opening your mouth
- Tenderness when chewing or biting
- Pain/ulcers on the inner cheek, where the pointy parts (cusps) of the impacted teeth may be digging into the soft tissue
- Earache, as pain can spread outward from the area.
These symptoms can occur for a few days, go away, and then come back at any time, sometimes with weeks or months between occurrences. If you experience any of these symptoms, make sure to mention them to one of our dentists during your next visit, so they could conduct a more thorough evaluation and recommend a treatment plan.
Over time, more severe symptoms may develop:
- Swollen lymph nodes/glands
- Swelling of the face and jaw
- Muscle spasms in the jaw
- Fever and feeling sick
These symptoms may indicate a severe, spreading infection, which can be dangerous if left untreated. If you experience any of these symptoms, please contact River Dentistry immediately for an emergency appointment.
The root cause of these problems is that when a wisdom tooth is impacted, a flap of gum will lie over it. As it is difficult to clean effectively under the gum flap, bacteria will proliferate here and the gum will become inflamed. Impacted teeth are also prone to decay. This is because food can trap around them and they are difficult to clean. The tooth lying horizontally will also be at increased risk of decay for the same reason. Rarely, cysts and other such growths may form around an impacted tooth.
Therefore even when your wisdom teeth aren’t causing pain, they should be checked regularly. Your favorite downtown dentist can make sure that all is well in the area, or if any damage begins to occur then the situation can be remedied sooner rather than later.
Preventing Impacted Wisdom Teeth Pain
Save for the preventative extraction, good general oral hygiene is going to be your best remedy. The cleaner the area and your mouth in general is kept, the less likely that inflammation and other problems will occur. In addition to regular brushing, do not forget about flossing in the area of the wisdom tooth and use mouthwashes regularly. If you are not sure how to clean your wisdom teeth properly, please talk to one of our friendly Downtown Los Angeles dentists.
You do not need to be an established River Dentistry patient to get help with your wisdom teeth problems or just get evaluated. Our convenient Downtown Los Angeles dentist office is open till 7 PM on weekdays and till 4:00 PM on Saturdays. Just call our best-reviewed Downtown LA dentist office at 213-486-0006, email us at , or text us using our mobile app and provide as much detail as you can about your condition and we will see you the same or next day. You also can make a same-day appointment online using our appointment system.
