Why do wisdom teeth cause pain?
Wisdom teeth do not always come out all the way (fully erupt), when there is not enough space in the mouth for them. They partially erupt, which means the gum does not fully seal the tooth, sometimes causing a gum flap.
Due to the location, it is often difficult to clean around these teeth. Food gets trapped under the gum flap. When left, this sets off inflammation and infection, causing pain. The technical name of this condition is pericoronitis, and is relatively common.
Do wisdom teeth always cause pain?
No. They only cause pain if there is decay or pericoronitis.
What is the treatment for wisdom tooth pain?
Short term treatment involves your dentist cleaning around the gum flap and washing around it with a special solution. If there is severe infection, we generally prescribe antibiotics. We also recommend good daily cleaning around the tooth, and hot salty mouth washes.
If problems with wisdom teeth fare up often, we recommend having them extracted.
What are the complications of removing wisdom teeth?
It all depends on the angle of the tooth, and if roots are close to a nerve. If the tooth must come out at a dodgy angle, it can be more difficult to extract, requiring bone removal and stiches. There is also a nerve that runs near the roots of wisdom teeth. If this nerve is close to the roots (this can be assessed by taking a simple x-ray), there is a chance the nerve can be damaged. That can lead to temporary or permanent numbness of that side of the mouth. This is rare, but it is always good to check where the nerve is, before taking wisdom teeth out. We use a CT scanner to take a 3D image of the area, so we can precisely locate the nerve. There are only a handful of dentists that have this technology.
Can you take out wisdom teeth at Sensational Smiles?
Yes! We have highly trained dentists, many of whom teach other dentists. One of our dentists works for the hospital, extracting difficult wisdom teeth. So, rest assured you are coming to the right place!
