How To Conquer Your Wisdom Teeth

When it comes to your health, one thing that people rarely speak about is your wisdom teeth. A huge amount of adults have some problem with them that leads to getting one or more of your wisdom teeth removed. They can cause pain and be hugely irritating. If you are suffering from pain at the back of your mouth, they might just be the cause. Read on for information on how to deal with those pesky teeth.

All About Your Wisdom Teeth

Your wisdom teeth are the ones right at the back of your mouth, the third set of molars to erupt from your gums. Most people get them in their late teens or early twenties, and although many people don’t have any issues with them, some might experience pain and teeth that only partially erupt from the gums.

This is because the other twenty-eight teeth are firmly in place, meaning that your wisdom teeth might not have space to grow in and they might grow in at an angle or get stuck. They could even grow in horizontally. Wisdom teeth that are poorly aligned can affect your jaw bone and your other teeth, causing you a lot of pain that may affect your eating and your quality of life.

Stop Your Teeth From Hurting

If you haven’t made an appointment to get your wisdom teeth removed just yet but they’re sore, there are ways that you can sooth them and stop them from hurting quite as much. Numbing dental gel on the gums can work wonders on a particularly painful day. You can get it over the counter at a chemist or at your local drug store – just make sure that you aren’t allergic to any of the ingredients and that you follow the instructions.

Ibuprofen can help, although you shouldn’t take it in excess or alongside some other medications as it can cause stomach ulcers. Ice packs can also help – wrap them in a cloth and hold them against your cheek. Salt water rinses decrease the likelihood of you getting an infection, and cloves and clove oil can help to remove pain and numb the area.

Get Your Wisdom Teeth Removed

Getting your wisdom teeth removed is a relatively painless process with an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Most people have a local anesthetic so you’re awake during the operation. If your wisdom teeth are impacted then the surgeon may have to cut the gum to remove them, but otherwise they can extract them like they would with any other teeth.

After removal, blood clots form over the holes in your gums as they heal so you need to make sure that you don’t disturb them. If you do, you can get dry socket, which can be excruciatingly painful, so be careful with the clots and don’t eat anything that might disturb them. Wash your mouth out with a salt rinse several times a day to prevent infection, and be aware that you may be spending some time on the couch for a few days – make a Netflix movie playlist in preparation!

Wisdom teeth can be a literal pain, but removal isn’t too much of a bad ordeal so long as you’re careful during the recovery.