Top 5 Tips to Detect Troublesome Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth are the last set of teeth to erupt in your mouth and typically occur during the late teenage and early twenties. While the teeth often erupt without causing symptoms, some people explain complications while the teeth emerge through the gums. This mainly happens if there is not enough space in the mouth or they erupt at odd angles. If you notice your wisdom teeth are troublesome, the Northern Virginia Oral, Maxillofacial & Implant Surgery experts such as Amir Naimi, DDS, are ready to help you. Here are the different ways you can detect when your wisdom teeth are troublesome.

Pay Attention to Jaw or Gum Pain

When your wisdom teeth emerge from the gums, you can experience mild symptoms even when they happen normally. But pay attention to pain and a feeling of pressure on your gums near the jawbone or the opening of your throat. You can also experience a dull throbbing as the erupting teeth irritate the gum’s sensitive tissues. The pain can be more severe if the wisdom teeth grow crooked or are overcrowded. If the pain becomes unbearable, contact your dentist to evaluate the possible treatment options, including extraction.

However, note that wisdom teeth eruption is not continuous, and you may experience the pain in a series. Also, the pain may worsen at night or become aggravated by chewing gum.

Look Out for Redness and Swelling

Wisdom teeth can also cause inflammation triggering swelling and redness in the gum tissues. You can feel the swelling by moving your tongue through the gums or look into the mirror while shining a small penlight into your mouth. Also, you may notice swelling when chewing food which may be uncomfortable as the food may inflame the swollen gums. You can also observe redness or some blood around the protruding teeth when observing the mouth through a mirror. While these traits may go away after a week or so, you can contact your doctor as soon as they become unbearable.

Stay Alert for Infections

Note that when your wisdom teeth are partially erupted or crooked, your infection risks significantly increase. The teeth create little pockets of space underneath the gums where infections can develop. You will notice severe pain, considerable gum swelling, swollen lymph nodes, and mild fever if you endure an infection. If you also experience bad breath, pus around the inflamed tissue, or an unpleasant taste in your mouth, these are signs of an infection.

Check for Crookedness

If you do not have enough space in your mouth for the wisdom teeth, they can become crooked. This is something you can notice by checking your front teeth. While you may not experience pain or other noticeable symptoms, the crooked teeth become impacted by the jawbone and often crowding other teeth to push them out of alignment. This can extend to the teeth visible through your smile, and you can notice it by looking at them in the mirror. You can compare your current smile with older photographs to notice any changes and contact your dentist.

Report Any Chronic Pain and Swelling

It is expected to experience mild pain while the wisdom teeth emerge from the gum, but chronic pain and swelling are not normal. Therefore, severe pain and inflammation lasting for more than a few weeks indicate something is not right about the emergence of the wisdom teeth. It is mainly associated with impacted wisdom teeth.

Reach out to Dr. Naimi if your wisdom teeth are emerging to understand if they are troublesome and how to combat the symptoms as they arise. While some mild inflammation and pain can be expected, do not endure severe pain that disrupts your life.