5 Reasons Why Your Wisdom Teeth Are Causing You Pain

Posted on: 7 January 2021

Some people never have any problems with their wisdom teeth. This is often the case for people with enough room in their jawbone to accommodate their newly erupted wisdom teeth. But if your jawbone is on the small side, wisdom teeth can cause painful oral conditions.

Are you beginning to experience wisdom tooth pain? Then the pain could be due to one of the following reasons.

1. Your wisdom teeth are impacted

When there isn't enough room for newly emerging wisdom teeth, they lodge in the bone or gum tissue. Periodontists call this condition impaction. Put simply, your wisdom teeth are trapped within the bone or gum tissue, and this causes pain, inflammation and swelling. Wisdom teeth become impacted due to insufficient space. The best treatment is wisdom teeth removal. This will take the pressure off your other teeth and stop the pain.

2. Your gum tissue is infected

The gum flap that often covers an impacted wisdom tooth is prone to infection because food lodges underneath the flap and begins to rot. Bacteria may also work their way under the gum flap. This can cause a painful infection that makes it hard for you to chew or bite down.

3. You have a gum abscess

If a gum infection goes untreated for too long, a gum abscess may eventually form. Like a tooth abscess, a gum abscess contains pus. As the abscess fills up with pus, the pain, swelling and inflammation worsen. Unfortunately, gum infections are a common symptom of impacted wisdom teeth. If you don't remove your wisdom teeth then, you may suffer from frequent gum infections.

4. You have a cavity

When there is little room for wisdom teeth, they often come into the mouth and rest up against the second molar. Teeth should have a small space between them. This makes it easier for you to clean your teeth. But if a wisdom tooth erupts right up against its neighbour, then you will find it difficult to get between those two teeth with a toothbrush or floss. Eventually, a cavity may develop between the two teeth.

5. You are suffering from growing pains

Wisdom teeth are the biggest teeth in the mouth. When they erupt, it's normal to experience some pain. Dentists refer to the pain of erupting wisdom teeth as growing pains. This might be your issue. In this case, removal might not be necessary. The pain will subside once your wisdom teeth have fully erupted.

If you are experiencing wisdom tooth pain, then you might need wisdom teeth removal. See your dentist soon for a dental exam. They can then examine your wisdom teeth and help you decide if you want to keep your wisdom teeth or have them removed.