wisdom teeth coming through

holstar

Hi all

the 2 wisdom teeth on one side of my mouth are coming through at the mo...theyve been growing for a bit, but int he last 5 days or so they've just started to break through the gum...so, it feels like I have a split or tear in the gum at both top and bottom to let the teeth through.
As they are both on the same side and both a bit swollen, its getting difficult to eat properly cos I can't close that side of jaw properly without biting bits of swollen gum (is this making sense??)

Whats the best way to encourage this to happen faster rather than slower (if this is possible)...the slight pain of general swelling and then from me being stupid and accidentally biting it, is getting to me now.

Also, cleaning these teeth and the ones directly next to them HURTS! So, I'm not cleaning them as well, which is another reason I want to get it over faster. Is it ok to not clean them as well as I should be doing for a few days? Or is it better to clean them properley and stop being such a girl about the pain?

Hope that makes sense, and TIA
Hol

Toothsmith

You can't get it to happen faster.

Keeping it as clean as possible will keep it the problems to a minimum. If it hurts to clean with a brush, a cotton bud soaked in a salty solution can help until you can get a brush back in again, and also salty mouthwashes vigerously swilled around it can help too.

Most importantly though, be sure to keep dental check ups regular, so that your dentist can monitor it, clean it properly, and refer you off for treatment should one or more need to be removed.

holstar

thank you very much

i_wanna_save_money!

I had to have mine removed they hurt that much. I sympathise with my baby teething at the moment.

Bossyboots

My daughter is at this moment in bed in tears as she has a wisdom tooth coming through and it is agony. She has even taken my strong painkillers (slapped wrist I know but what's a girl to do) to try to get some relief from it.

raptorman

Bossyboots wrote:

My daughter is at this moment in bed in tears as she has a wisdom tooth coming through and it is agony. She has even taken my strong painkillers (slapped wrist I know but what's a girl to do) to try to get some relief from it.

I would strongly recommend extraction. I had my top two wisdom teeth removed a couple of days ago, thankfully I never suffered any pain from them and the extraction only took a couple of minutes after they were numbed.

The lady dentist said I was 'brave' lol and I'm 35yo.

Bossyboots

raptorman wrote:

I would strongly recommend extraction. I had my top two wisdom teeth removed a couple of days ago, thankfully I never suffered any pain from them and the extraction only took a couple of minutes after they were numbed.

The lady dentist said I was 'brave' lol and I'm 35yo.

Not sure they need extracting now though, they are only just coming through. I assumed that once they were through the pain would ease off. Is that not the case? I certainly wouldn't be looking at her having them extracted if they are causing her no problems (not that its my decision, she is almost 21 but she does ask my advice).

Perhaps Toothsmith can give some guidance. She is already rinsing her mouth in salt water (my catch all anyway for any mouth problems in the first instance) as suggested.

She now has terrible earache but has a stinking cold so we are not sure whether that is coming from the teeth or a blockage.

We may have to trundle down to the walkin centre today and get the ear checked out.

Toothsmith

Wisdom teeth can hurt when the're coming through.

Normally, once they get through and into position, they are OK. (This isn't always the case, but more often than not).

The only reason the would be taken out is if they are causing a problem and the situation isn't going to improve.

So if the teeth kept on hurting, and they were at a funny angle, or jammed up against the tooth in front and unable to come through any more (Impacted), then, removal would be considered.

They wouldn't be taken out just for the odd flare up whilst coming through.

Bossyboots

Thanks Toothsmith. Is there a time period in which you would say they should be through? Hers only started on Tuesday so I didn't think it was that unreasonable for them still to be hurting (we have now discovered she actually has two coming through).

We also have the added problem of not knowing whether the ear is making it feel like her mouth is still hurting or her mouth making her ear hurt.

When she gets up we will review the situation but the fact that she is still in bed means the painkilers she took at 6.00 a.m. must have been some help so hopefully that is a good sign.

Toothsmith

Bossyboots wrote:

Thanks Toothsmith. Is there a time period in which you would say they should be through?

Can be years!!!!!

It will not be painful for all that time though!! Mostly, you won't know it's there.

The thing I tell my patients about wisdom teeth coming through is:-

1. Keep the area as clean as possible. - They only hurt when crud collects around them and gets caught for too long under the flappy bits of gum. So, the cleaner you keep them the less trouble you have from them.

2. If they start to hurt, extra good cleaning, and start on warm salty mouthwashes, vigerously woshed around the problem tooth. Keep doing the salty mouthwashes (4-5 x daily at least) for a couple of days after it feels to have got better.

3. If you do 1. & 2. then it should be OK, but if ever you swell up like a hamster, go and see your dentist, and get some antibiotics.

The thing that will make them need to come out is if they have too many painful episodes and too little movement. Be patient, and keep them clean.

Bossyboots

Thanks.

My daughter is much better today, being more troubled by her ear than her teeth so hopefully she is going to be okay now. She has been keeping her mouth clean and I will tell her to keep going for a few days yet.