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How to deal with wisdom teeth pain

Wisdom teeth are the last molars to erupt in man, usually between 16 to 25 years of age. While most of them erupt without much discomfort, many experience a lot of pain and inability to eat properly. Here are some tips on how to deal with wisdom teeth pain.

Recognize the symptoms

If you are aged between 16 to 25 years, then you need to be aware of the fact that your erupting wisdom teeth may cause some discomfort and pain. Look into the mirror and check out whether it is really the wisdom tooth that is causing the pain. Once you realize that it is indeed the wisdom tooth that has gotten infected, you will be able to tolerate it without panicking. You will be assured that it is perfectly normal to get pain and you will soon come out of it. Thus, recognizing the early signs of an erupting wisdom tooth can help you to a great extent in avoiding serious complications. Some of the symptoms are difficulty in opening the mouth, swelling in the cheeks, fever and acute pain in the wisdom tooth area. All the four wisdom teeth may not appear at the same time and each one may exhibit different symptoms. The pain is usually restricted to the particular side of the jaw where the wisdom tooth is about to surface. Some individuals can experience painful cheek bites due to the wisdom teeth. This happens because the soft tissues surrounding the wisdom teeth get inflamed. When you try to chew food, the cheek gets bitten and may become the cause of extreme discomfort while eating.

 

Avoid eating hot foods

If you have severe pain in the tissues surrounding the wisdom teeth, refrain from having anything that is hot. Excessively high temperature worsens the pain and you may land up with severe infection. Make sure that the beverages are lukewarm and so are the foods eaten. In fact, a cold ice pack alleviates the pain to a considerable extent and the pain may gradually subside, as the tooth erupts. Coffee and tea should not be piping hot. Spicy foods also are best avoided if you have acute pain. Do not resort to applying any topical ointments or lotions, since this may aggravate the pain. It is advisable to have soft and cold food that does not require much of chewing.

Rinse your mouth regularly

When you see early signs of an erupting wisdom tooth, you need to be extra careful about your oral hygiene. Proper maintenance of oral hygiene will ensure that the wisdom tooth erupts with no hassles and discomfort. Rinse your mouth regularly with salt water or a good mouth wash. These act as antiseptics, preventing any secondary infection of the erupting wisdom tooth. Always keep a mouth wash such as Betadine or Listerine with you. Dilute it in half a glass of water and gargle for two minutes. This is a preventive method for keeping wisdom teeth pain at bay. Take care to see that you do not injure the soft tissues near the wisdom teeth while brushing. Any mild pain may get aggravated if proper oral hygiene is not maintained.The right brushing technique will prevent any formation of plaque on the surface of the teeth, preventing any major infection.

Pop a chewing gum

If the tissues surrounding the wisdom teeth are slightly swollen, try chewing gum in that area. This will stimulate blood supply and the tooth may erupt much faster than otherwise. Chewing gum regularly is healthy for the gums and the periodontal structures surrounding the teeth. This will also alleviate the pain to a certain extent. The chewing action acts as a great exercise and promotes easy eruption of the wisdom tooth. However, infected wisdom teeth may not benefit by only chewing gum.

 

Visit the dentist

Some wisdom teeth are completely immersed within the bone and have no place to erupt. Such teeth give immense pain and discomfort as they try to push the surrounding structures in an effort to come out. This gives rise to excruciating pain and inability to open your mouth. In such cases, it is advisable to visit the nearest dentist who will advise you after a thorough examination. Some impacted wisdom teeth require surgical removal because of their irregular positioning. Some are embedded horizontally inside the jaws and push the nearby teeth and give rise to inflammation of the surrounding tissues. In these cases, you can contact your dentist who can guide you about the further course of action.

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