Wisdom Tooth Pain Relief

Are you in your 20s and suddenly got a toothache? Are you thinking this might be due to tooth decay or an infection? You must be feeling miserable thinking that you’re too young to get tooth decay or any problem related to your teeth. Don’t worry at all, your wisdom teeth have started to erupt now. And it causes so much pain and swelling in some people. This might feel shocking to some people who don’t know about wisdom teeth or might have forgotten about them due to busy everyday lifestyles. Wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, are the last set of 4 teeth that come in between the ages of 17 to 25, which is why they’re called “wisdom” teeth as they come in when you’re older and wiser. Two teeth on the upper side and two teeth on the bottom at the back of your mouth. They are the last teeth in your mouth.

Some people experience a very painful process of wisdom teeth eruption. The pain starts from the area surrounding the wisdom teeth and goes up to the ear and head. If the right side wisdom teeth are erupting, your right ear and the right side of the head will pain. If there is no space for the wisdom teeth, it harms the nearby teeth by weakening their gums, and you may experience bleeding gums. If the wisdom teeth erupt in an angular position or in a position where the head of the tooth points towards the side of the nearby teeth, it can cause infections, cysts, tumors, and unhygienic conditions in the future if you don’t take proper care of them. When you go to the dentist, they will tell you to remove it without giving you any painkillers for pain relief. When I got wisdom teeth, I also experienced this painful process, but I didn’t remove them, though my dentist told me to remove them, because I didn’t want to remove something from my mouth that is very natural to come. Yes, it was painful for 6 months, but when the tooth finally came out, I felt very happy and satisfied. In this article, I will share with you my experience of pain relief and treatment at home and how I suffered.

What are wisdom teeth, and their role?

• Wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, are evolutionary leftovers from a time when early humans had tougher diets, larger jaws, and shorter lifespans, according to science.

• These teeth are big, wide, and very strong, and they help in chewing raw food and coarsely cooked food. Since ancient humans had larger jaws and they ate raw plants and animals as food, they needed tough teeth, and that’s how wisdom teeth were born.

• But now, because modern life has changed and our diet and eating habits have also evolved, we don’t need wisdom teeth anymore. We cook food and eat softer things, so less chewing power is needed.

• Jaws are smaller now due to diet and developmental changes. So wisdom teeth have no room for development. Thatswhy when they erupt, it causes so much pain and swelling.

• Sometimes, due to no space in the jaw, they erupt in different positions, which can be more painful. Some break the other tooth and come out. Some weaken the nearby teeth to come out as wisdom teeth are very strong and big. And in some people, they partially come out, leaving a gap between the two teeth. This gap can get infected or cause tooth decay when food particles get stuck in there and are not cleaned properly.

• Thatswhy doctors recommend removing the wisdom teeth when they are coming out, so that it doesn’t cause any harm to the other teeth.  And you will also be free from pain and swelling. If you don’t get any pain during the eruption of wisdom teeth, you don’t need to worry at all, as they are growing healthy without causing any problems in the oral cavity. So your doctors will also tell you not to remove them when they are not causing any concern.

• Wisdom teeth don’t erupt at once. They take at least 6 months to one year to come out completely. Just like how babies develop teething slowly. So, for the next 6 months, there will be pain and swelling for some days. It will come and go. Once they erupt completely, you will not have any pain.

• Not all 4 wisdom teeth hurt when they come out. Some erupt without any pain and discomfort. You may not know that you already have wisdom teeth. It happens in some people, and only 1 wisdom tooth out of the three might hurt when they try to come out.

When should you remove your wisdom teeth?

• Unbearable pain in the area surrounding the wisdom teeth.
• Wisdom teeth are erupting in an angular position.
• If they are stuck under the gums or growing sideways.
• They are partially erupted.
• It hurts the nearby teeth or makes them weak.
• It is causing gum infection and tooth decay.
• Infection in the bone or gums surrounding the wisdom teeth.
• Development of cysts and tumours due to impacted teeth.

Wisdom teeth pain relief at home:-

• Apply an ice pack to the area where wisdom teeth are erupting.
• Eat ice cream or frozen food to relieve pain.
• Take paracetamol to decrease the pain.
• Take a clove and keep it near the wisdom teeth. Don’t chew or eat it. Let the juice come out slowly in your mouth. This will help in decreasing the pain.
• If your pain becomes unbearable even after trying all these, go to a dentist. They will give you painkillers that are good enough to relieve the pain. These painkillers are very strong, so you have to eat food properly before taking them. If you are breastfeeding or pregnant, they will give you other medicines that are safe for you and your baby.
• Don’t chew food from the side where the wisdom tooth is growing. This can cause more pain.
• Avoid moving your mouth too much or eating hard foods like nuts, popcorn, corn seeds, and sugarcane.
• Drink soups and juices when you have this tooth pain.
• Since it takes more than 6 months for your wisdom tooth to grow fully, you have to take proper care of it.
• Every month, it comes out slowly, and there are chances that the food particles might get stuck near the wisdom tooth. So brush twice every day to keep your teeth clean.
• There is a special ayurvedic tooth powder called Farooqi tooth powder that helps with gum health, bad breath, sparkling teeth, bleeding gums, tooth decay, pain relief, strong teeth, and is good for your overall oral hygiene. Use this whenever you feel there is pain in your teeth or any other dental problems. You can also use it daily. Take a little amount of this toothpowder, apply it on your brush, and brush your teeth slowly.

Advantages of removing wisdom teeth:-

• Avoids pain and discomfort.
• Reduces the risks of infections and tooth decay.
• Prevents cysts and tumours.
• Prevents overcrowding of the teeth.
• Improves oral hygiene.
• Protects nearby teeth.

Disadvantages of removing wisdom teeth:-

• Pain and swelling for one week after wisdom tooth extraction.
• Dry socket.
• Slight bleeding.
• Infection can occur if proper care is not taken.
• Nerve damage during wisdom tooth extraction may occur if the teeth are very close to the nerve.
• A stiff jaw for a few days after surgery.
• Expensive tooth extraction.
• You have to take time and rest for a few days after tooth extraction, leaving all your work.
• If you are breastfeeding, you can undergo a tooth extraction procedure, but you will not be given stronger antibiotics as you are feeding a baby. This can cause more discomfort and pain in your tooth, and it might heal very slowly.
• Sinus problems may occur if the upper wisdom teeth are removed, as these teeth are close to the sinus cavity.
• Bone or gum loss may occur if the surgery is not done properly.
• Shifting of the other teeth near the wisdom teeth during the surgery or after surgery.

My Experience:-

I got my wisdom teeth when I was exactly 25 years old. At that time, I was breastfeeding my 5-month-old daughter, and I already had a 4-year-old son. I was already going through postpartum depression and the healing process as I had a C-section delivery. It all started on my right side of my mouth. I didn’t know that this was because of wisdom teeth. I didn’t even know that my wisdom tooth was growing inside my mouth. I thought this was normal pain that we all get when there is a health problem. Initially, the pain was mild, but slowly, after 2 days, it became so severe that I was unable to bear it. The pain was now spread to my right ear and my right side of my head. I took paracetamol 3 times a day without even thinking about the cause of the pain, but it was no use. It didn’t even reduce a bit. I went to a normal physician for a checkup. She checked my mouth and told me that there is a sign of wisdom teeth eruption exactly at the place where there is severe pain, and she just told me to take paracetamol every 6 hours and apply an ice pack on that side. If the pain is unbearable, she told me to go to a dentist and have the tooth removed.

After going home, I took paracetamol every 6 hours, but the pain didn’t decrease at all. I was already going through so much pain due to c-section delivery, postpartum depression, breastfeeding problems, emotional stress, and body pains. Due to wisdom tooth eruption, the nearby teeth became so weak that they started to loosen from the gum. So I decided to go to a dentist and take painkillers. My parents know a dentist, so we decided to go to her. We took an appointment and went with the whole family. First, they told me to take an oral X-ray to know the exact position where the wisdom tooth is growing. After  X-ray, they were sure that they needed to remove the wisdom teeth as it was growing in an angular position and were also hurting the nearby teeth. But since I was breastfeeding my daughter, they were a little tense on how to do the treatment. They explained to me the procedure and its healing process after the surgery. They also told me that they cannot give me powerful antibiotics or painkillers as I am breastfeeding my baby. And I have to take rest a lot, and there will be swelling on my face. After hearing all this, I was a bit scared. I have a school-going kid and a 6-month-old daughter to take care of. My husband is also busy with his office work, and my parents live in the Gulf. So I decided to take only painkillers. I told the dentist to give me painkillers first, and if the pain doesn’t go away, then I will come for the tooth extraction.

So I took painkillers for 5 days and went home. Those painkillers worked well. After taking painkillers, the pain went down within half an hour. The pain came back after 6 hours. It all continued for 2 days. I applied an ice pack to the affected area and ate ice cream for pain relief. I stopped chewing food from the right side jaw and ate very little. I was frustrated a lot, but still tried to be patient. After a few days, the pain went away, and my wisdom tooth came out a bit from the gums. After one month, I again got the pain. I took the same painkillers that the dentist gave me. The next month, the pain came again, but this time it wasn’t that severe, so I just took paracetamol. The wisdom tooth was slowly erupting from the gums, and it took 6 months to completely come out. After it came out completely, I never got the pain again, and cleaning those teeth was also easy. But still, since my wisdom teeth were in a little angular position, I made sure I cleaned my teeth day and night so that no food particles got stuck in that area.

Conclusion:-

Many doctors recommend you to remove the wisdom teeth as they can cause pain, swelling, infections, and damage to other teeth. But I didn’t remove it because I heard elders say that removing wisdom teeth can impact eye and ear functions in the future. And if the surgery doesn’t go well, it causes so many other problems. So I thought bearing the pain for a few months was better than taking a risk like this.  It’s up to you if you want your teeth to be removed or not, if they are causing you trouble.