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Wisdom teeth are third molars that appear behind your second molars, usually between the ages of 17 and 25. While most adults have four wisdom teeth, it isn’t uncommon to have less, or even none at all.
Wisdom teeth can commonly cause pain and discomfort when they grow, affecting the neighboring teeth and growing in ‘sideways’. This is often because there is not enough space for them to grow into your mouth at a healthy angle, and often results in them only being able to emerge partially into the mouth – this is what we call an impacted wisdom tooth.
If you find your wisdom teeth are causing you pain and discomfort, your London dentist will be able to prescribe you with painkillers to ease the problem. If your wisdom teeth are growing in at an angle, you may want to think about having them extracted.
Impacted wisdom teeth can cause all sorts of problems, aside from the pain. They can trap food and bacteria in and around them, leading to increased tooth decay or gum disease, and potentially more problems in the future.
Wisdom tooth extraction is a routine and common procedure for dentists, and saves patients a lot of the pain and discomfort of having impacted wisdom teeth. It’s important to follow after-care instructions from your dentist if you do have a tooth removed, otherwise you could suffer from ‘dry socket’, a painful aching sensation in your jaw. However, in most instances the post-surgery discomfort will last no longer than two weeks.
If you are suffering from wisdom tooth pain and think you could benefit from either painkillers or tooth extraction, don’t hesitate to ask your London dentist about the procedure.