Why Does My Wisdom Tooth Hurt So Much? | Issaquah Dentist

When a baby is teething, parents work hard to soothe their pain. As an adult, we experience teeth growing again. Sometime during our teen and young adult years, your wisdom teeth will come in. For some people there is no pain, while others experience pain like they’ve never imagined. Here are the reasons why wisdom teeth hurt:

Eruption. The top of your gums is full of nerves. When wisdom teeth erupt through the skin, they are breaking those nerves and the result is pain. The tooth does not grow at a very fast speed. That means the pain can last for a lot longer than anyone wants until the tooth is fully grown.

Impaction. There are times when the tooth grows at the wrong angle. It gets stuck in the gum and is then an impacted wisdom tooth. This is another type of pain people feel. The pain from an impacted wisdom tooth is felt in many places. It can affect the area of impaction, the teeth surrounding the impaction, the gums and the jaw.

Infection. It is possible for the wisdom tooth to have an infection. Like any other infection of the teeth or gums, the infected wisdom tooth cause pain.

Pain from a wisdom tooth is normal and something that plenty of people deal with. The good news is that there are things to do about the pain. Over-the-counter medications can help manage the pain until the tooth grows in.

Extraction is also an effective treatment for impacted teeth. The key is to get the help of our dental professionals when you have painful wisdom teeth. They’ll be able to advise on the next steps.

For more information about wisdom teeth, call Dr. Sciabica in Issaquah, WA at 425-392-3900 or visit www.issaquahdentists.com.

Dr. Frank S. Sciabica proudly serves patients from Issaquah and all surrounding areas.

Do All Wisdom Teeth Require Removal? | Issaquah Dentist

Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are a set of four teeth that appear after the initial growth of the permanent teeth. This is why they are called “wisdom” teeth colloquially; they appear in our wiser years. They are routinely removed by dentists, as they can often be the cause of oral health issues.

Why Do We Have Wisdom Teeth?

Our prehistoric ancestors had larger jaws than we do, and room to accommodate the extra set of teeth that we dub “wisdom teeth”, today. A mutation in the gene MYH16 may be responsible for having caused changes in the size of some of our ancestors’ jaws.

Why Are Wisdom Teeth Removed?

As a result of these evolutionary changes, many modern humans have smaller jaws, and the growth of the extra teeth can cause dental crowding (the other teeth are slowly pushed forward, and with nowhere to go, become crooked near the front of the mouth). They can also be hard to reach when brushing and flossing, resulting in decay and cavities.

Wisdom teeth may also cause issues with the bite, leading to jaw discomfort. In some cases, wisdom teeth do not fully grow in, but remain impacted within the gums. This causes extreme discomfort, swelling, and even bleeding.

When Can Wisdom Teeth NOT Be Removed?

Some people have space in their mouths for wisdom teeth. If there is space in the mouth, and the extra teeth grow in fully, without impaction, do not compromise the health of a patient’s bite, and can be easily reached during daily cleaning, there is no need for removal.

The decision whether or not to remove wisdom teeth is one that must be made with the help of our dentists. There are many factors to take into account, all of which our dentists are aware of, and able to discuss with our patients. We will be able to assess whether it is in your best interest to have your wisdom teeth removed.

For more information about wisdom teeth, call Dr. Sciabica in Issaquah, WA at 425-392-3900 or visit www.issaquahdentists.com.

Dr. Frank S. Sciabica proudly serves patients from Issaquah and all surrounding areas.

Reasons Why Wisdom Teeth Often Hurt | Issaquah Dentist

If we are lucky, we only need to experience new teeth twice in our lives – when we are babies and as our permanent teeth come in. It isn’t a comfortable time in our lives at either point. Both happen during a formative time in our lives, when life is anything but normal. But for some of us, a third “teething” process takes place – wisdom teeth.

Wisdom teeth generally come in during our late adolescent years and turn up as molars in the back of your mouth. For some, it isn’t an issue. For most, it can be a very painful time. Here’s why:

Eruption. The top of your gums is full of nerves. When wisdom teeth erupt through the skin, they are breaking those nerves and the result is pain. Because teeth don’t grow in quickly, the pain can last for a lot longer than anyone wants until the tooth is fully grown.

Impaction. There are times when the tooth grows at the wrong angle, gets stuck in the gum and becomes impacted. The pain from an impacted wisdom tooth is felt in many places. It can affect the area of impaction, the teeth surrounding the impaction, the gums and the jaw.

Infection. Like any other infection of the teeth or gums, the infected wisdom tooth cause pain.

We can’t predict if your wisdom teeth will cause you pain. What we can be sure of is that pain from a wisdom tooth is normal. It is something that plenty of people deal with. The good news is that there are things to do about the pain. Medications can help manage the pain until the tooth grows in.

For more information about wisdom teeth, call Dr. Frank S. Sciabica in Issaquah, WA at 425-392-3900 or visit  www.issaquahdentists.com .

Dr. Sciabica proudly serve patients from Issaquah and all surrounding areas.