03 Apr

How To Take Care of Sore Wisdom Teeth

shutterstock_452192482Have you ever noticed that everyone seems to make noises or wince whenever the words wisdom and teeth are mentioned in the same sentence? The wisdom teeth have something of a reputation, mainly because they can be incredibly painful. If you’ve got sore wisdom teeth, this article should come in handy.

What causes sore wisdom teeth?

Painful wisdom teeth are almost always caused by a lack of space in the jaw, which results in the wisdom teeth pushing against the neighbouring teeth and growing at an angle. This is known as an impacted tooth. It is also fairly common for the wisdom teeth to become infected, as they can be difficult to clean. As the wisdom teeth are the last teeth to erupt, it’s often very crowded, and this can result in pain as the teeth are pushing through and dropping down.

How to cope with sore wisdom teeth

The first thing to do if you’re having trouble with your wisdom teeth is see your dentist. In many cases, if the teeth are causing pain, they’re infected, or there isn’t enough space for the tooth to develop properly, it may be best to extract the offending tooth. In some cases, extraction won’t be necessary, and you may be advised to take painkillers. Sometimes, the teeth can be painful as they’re erupting, and this will calm down once the tooth has pushed through fully.
If you have got painful wisdom teeth, it may be best to avoid eating anything that involves a lot of chewing and hard foods. A soft diet can help your teeth and gums recover. You may also find that applying ice packs to your gums eases pain.
If you’ve got any questions about the wisdom teeth or you need urgent assistance for painful wisdom teeth, call us now.