Formally known as third molars, their common name or what they’re notoriously known by is ‘wisdom teeth’ as they present themselves a lot later than your other teeth, therefore coming across as more ‘wise’ than your earlier teeth.
Wisdom teeth normally burst onto the scene between the ages of 17-25 in both sexes. It’s common for most adults to grow four wisdom teeth in each of the four quadrants of your mouth. While they’re always fashionably late to the party they’re also commonly painful when they arrive.
Types of Pain Caused by Wisdom Teeth
The interesting thing about wisdom teeth is there are two types of wisdom teeth pain you can experience; the kind of pain that indicates a potential problem and the kind of pain that is often lumped in with growing up. Since wisdom teeth present themselves later in life they can cause some problems due to other adult teeth being in place already. Wisdom teeth need to push up through your gums which is where the pain and discomfort come from. People often experience a range of symptoms which come and go over the course of wisdom teeth coming through.
Impacted wisdom teeth are when wisdom teeth are unfortunately growing sideways and therefore impacting other teeth. It is when the wisdom teeth are impacted that the aches and pains usually come and go over time.
Common complications when infected include:
- Red, inflamed gum near the wisdom tooth.
- Swelling
- Pain
- Fever
- Bad breath
- Pus coming from the gum
- Swollen/sore lymph nodes underneath the jaw.
- Difficulty opening the mouth and swallowing food
- Headaches
- Earaches
When your wisdom teeth are coming through, it's important to keep a close eye on making sure no food gets trapped when the teeth are slowly breaking the gums as this can lead to an abscess and can cause quite a bit of pain, and any trapped debris in this part of your mouth can cause infections which leads to swelling. In these cases, wisdom teeth will need to be removed as it can cause further complications and pain.
How Long Does a Wisdom Tooth Take to Grow?
Unfortunately, there is no time frame that wisdom teeth commonly grow in. It can either take up to eight months or just never at all.
There is no right or wrong list when it comes to your wisdom teeth, its advised that you pay close attention and take care of them during the growing through the process to avoid any complications as wisdom teeth can often for some people grow through with no issues or symptoms at all. Contact your dentist immediately if you notice any pains which are out of the ordinary for you.
Alternatively, if you already know you need to say farewell to your wisest teeth, contact NSOMS today to schedule an appointment.
