Our wisdom teeth is an exciting subject to study. In this article, we will have an overview of wisdom teeth, their eruption and extraction as well as the post-removal care!
What is the wisdom tooth?
The tooth is a structure of vertebrates, white in color, found in the jaws. The jaw consists of 32 teeth in total. The wisdom teeth are defined as a third set of molars. They start growing on around one's tenth birthday. But, due to the formation of a whole set of molars, they will keep erupting until one's late twenties and even farther.
How do wisdom teeth grow?
The jaw has sufficient capacity to accommodate all of our teeth. For any remaining tooth to grow within, it's comfortable. However, it often causes some difficulty for 32 teeth to fit all together in our mouth. Therefore, when the wisdom tooth grows, it feels pressure from an adjoining area. Unfortunately, it may get misaligned and exposed with pain and swelling.
How much important are our wisdom teeth?
They have actually nothing much to do with our bodily functions. It is believed that a stronger molar and broader jawbone became prevalent due to our ancestors' eating habits of raw foods. The scenario is different now. As we grew civilized, we began to eat fully cooked and soft food. This practice has made our molars more dormant and the capacity of jaws declined to fit a full line of teeth.
What are the symptoms of erupted wisdom teeth?
The exposed or broken wisdom tooth often comes without any symptoms or dental problems. However, when you experience severe pain, you are advised to go for a removal.
Different symptoms may include:
- Stiff jaw with adjacent painful teeth.
- A misaligned, curved wisdom tooth with much pressure to adjoining teeth, leading to a structural damage with pain and irritation.
- Discomfort and rubbing sensation to tongue, upper and lower part of mouth.
- Eruption of adjoining skin.
- Several dental problems such as tooth decay, gum disease or periodontal disease.
How are wisdom teeth removed?
An exposed tooth through the gum area requires a little operative amputation. The tooth hidden under the jawbones may require an incision to open that area. The style of an abstraction of tooth will also vary as per the size of one's wisdom teeth. Your dentist may remove it in small fragments or as a whole.
The antibiotics will alleviate the pain. The dental surgeon will perform an operation under a local anesthesia. One may experience some post-surgical pain or swelling for a short period of time. The patient should start soft and light food and avoid harder, hotter or colder foodstuffs or beverages. The sutures are usually removed after one week.
Aftercare
- Use an ice pack to alleviate swelling.
- Use warm water to cleanse mouth, especially an operated area (you can start one day after an operation).
- Take essential prescribed pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory medications with antibiotics
- Avoid strenuous activities (to evade more pressure) to avoid any accidental bleeding
- Use soft-bristled toothbrush with proper brushing techniques
- Rinse mouth with warm, salted water to remove the particles stuck to an operated area
- Stop chewing food over this area to avoid any accidental biting of adjacent areas, which may occur due to post-surgical numbness experienced thus.
