What causes pain in the wisdom tooth area?
There are a few causes of pain:
1) Pericoronitis – swollen gums in relation to the wisdom tooth
2) Caries – a cavity has formed on the wisdom tooth or the second molar, causing a toothache.
Pericoronitis
Think of the gums covering half the wisdom tooth as a blanket. Food will get trapped underneath the ‘blanket’ and cause an infection as it becomes rotten. The condition is known as pericoronitis due to food impaction. The pain feels like a general soreness/ulcer like sensation at the back of your jaw.
Often times gargling with salt water or medicated mouthwash (Chlorhexidine) can help to reduce the tenderness but the gums will get infected again and the pain will recur.
The wisdom tooth does not have enough space to fully erupt into the mouth so a small part of the gums will still close over the tooth. By removing the wisdom tooth, the gums are able to heal and food would not get trapped so easily.
Caries
Most wisdom tooth are impacted – this means that the wisdom tooth are stuck as they are growing at an angle. They cannot grow properly into the mouth due to the lack of space.
When a wisdom tooth is impacted by the molar in front, food will get trapped between the two teeth and a cavity may start to form on either the wisdom tooth or the molar in front. In most cases, the cavity forms at the back of the second molar. This is known as caries – a condition where bacteria eats the sugary food stuck on your teeth and releases acid, which dissolves the tooth and forms a cavity.
If the cavity is small, a small filling can be done after removing the wisdom tooth.
However, if the cavity is bigger and it touches the pulp inside the tooth, the tooth may end up needing a root canal treatment.
What To Do?
It is advisable to remove the wisdom tooth if you already have the issues we mentioned above.
For those who do not have any symptoms in relation to their wisdom teeth, you may choose to leave it behind. However, upon an x-ray assessment, we would let you know if that is a good idea or not.
What Can You Do At Home In The Mean Time?
Keep the wisdom tooth area clean by brushing with a baby tooth brush. The smaller head allows you to reach in to clean properly in that area.
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