OMG am I teething?

GlasweJen

This might be a strange question. I'm 23 and in July I had my bottom back molar at the right side removed because it got really badly infected and the tooth crumbled from the inside (it had been impact damaged previously and patched together with fillings).

The dentist said that it wasn't a wisdom tooth and that all my wisdom teeth were under the gums (i saw them on the x-ray).

6 months later and recently the gum beside the gap is painful, ibuprofen helps take the edge off of it but all I want to do is chew. I'm quite confident that it isn't infected because I don't have any symptoms of infection except pain (no smelly breath, nothing visable on the gum) but the area is sore to touch.

Could this be the wisdom tooth errupting or is it something to be more concerned about?

Buttonmoons

Probably is your wisdom teeth, how old are you? Mine came through between the ages of 18 - 21, when they erupt the pain can be bad for a few days, then it goes away, and then a week later it hurts again! I kept chewing my cheek when they came in, so I had sore bloody cheeks and painful gums!

Rub your finger over it, you'll be able to feel a tooth soon enough but they take ageeeeeeeees to come through completely!

CompletelyLost

I'm getting my wisdom teeth through now - I'm almost 23, so it could well be the same for you. Best to see a dentist if you're in pain though, in case it's something else.

GlasweJen

I'm actually due to see him next month but I think i'll call and get the appointment brought forward.

maysmummy

I was once caled to an old gentleman in a nursing home who was over 90 who told the matron that he couldn't wear his dentures because he had a tooth growing.

When I checked, he was right! although his teeth had been removed about 50 years ago, his wisom tooth had slowly made it's way to the surface.

I arranged to admit him to hospital to have it removed.

Toothsmith

maysmummy wrote: »

I was once caled to an old gentleman in a nursing home who was over 90 who told the matron that he couldn't wear his dentures because he had a tooth growing.

When I checked, he was right! although his teeth had been removed about 50 years ago, his wisom tooth had slowly made it's way to the surface.

I arranged to admit him to hospital to have it removed.

I had a very similar situation in a previous job about 18 yrs ago.

An 85 year old lady came in terrified at the swelling she'd developed under her lower denture at the back.

Went out chuffed to bits when I told her she had the dental problems of an 18yr old!!

Silaqui

Yep it's probably your wisdom tooth. I'm 25 and mine are really annoying - they come up, painfully, then a couple of months later they have gone back down again! They seem to go up and down every 6 months/year or so.

Problem with the feeling of wanting to chew is that if you actually try and chew it can be really painful - I tried to chew an apple right at the back there to satisfy the feeling and it absolutely killed!

x

Silaqui

Aha - just saw Toothsmith up there - is the 'up and down wisdom teeth' situation normal? My old dentist said it was fine but I've never known anyone else with it!
x

Red_Rose

23 and wisdom teeth have been gradually coming through for a while now. Been worse the last few days & have had the urge to chew. I would say its pretty safe to say you are teething!

I've been recommended clove oil in Boots for any dental pain. Its brilliant. You rub it on & it numbs the area for a while.

Toothsmith

Clove oil really isn't the thing for a wisdom tooth. It can cause quite a nasty chemical burn.

The thing clove oil can sometimes help with is pain from a live exposed nerve - as it 'mummifies' it, and kills it off.

In truth, very few toothaches are caused by live exposed nerves (Usually the nerve has died and it's infection causing the pain) and the ones that are - the health of the tooth could be saved. But not if you've killed it with clove oil!!

Wisdom tooth pain is nothing to do with the tooth - it's swelling in the tissues surrounding it. So clove oil here will do more harm than good as well.

The 'up and down' wisdom teeth are not really moving up and down. When the gum gets sore and inflamed, it feels like it's moved 'up'. When it settles down again, it feels like it's gone back 'down' again.