WISDOM TEETH

Your Wisdom Teeth are the last to erupt at the back of the mouth, usually between the ages of 18 and 22. Sometimes they appear many years later.

Nowadays people often have jaws that are too small for all 32 teeth with some mouths only having 28 teeth or less. So if all other teeth are present and healthy there may not be enough space for the wisdom teeth to come through properly.

Do Wisdom Teeth always cause problems?
No. If there is sufficient space for them to erupt into, then they give no problems.

Why do we need to remove Wisdom Teeth?
If there is not enough space for them to erupt properly into they get impacted (stuck) against the next tooth. This can act as food and plaque trap and is usually very difficult to clean. This can lead to decay of the Wisdom Tooth and the adjacent tooth. Also gum infection leading to a swelling and soreness often takes place.

Also as the Wisdom Tooth erupts into the mouth it can cause soreness. This is like teething pain but in adults!

What can I do to help myself?
Initially the use of warm salt water mouth wash (gargle) is useful. The use of an antiseptic mouth wash like Corsodyl is very good. Pain killers will help; use what works for you. In severe cases or where mouth opening is limited, you need to see your dentist who will examine your mouth and may prescribe some antibiotics.

What to do if the pain comes back?
If a lower Wisdom Tooth is regularly giving problems then the upper opposing Wisdom Tooth is removed as this will normally relieve the pressure off the sore gum around the problem Wisdom Tooth. Usually this works well. If it does not, the offending Wisdom Tooth needs to be extracted. This is carried out by your dentist or an Oral Surgeon in the hospital depending on your preferences and/or the difficulty of the extraction.