**SPONSORED CONTENT BY DR. GRACE LEE, GRACE DENTAL**
Teething as an adult? Waking up in middle of the night due to an annoying throb in the jaw isn’t pleasant and drooling at work is certainly not very attractive. If you have such symptoms, it might be caused by your wisdom teeth coming in sideways, or impacted. Most adults have four wisdom teeth (third molars) that come in between the ages of 17 and 25.
Wisdom teeth are friendly, but they are not very wise. Too often, they don’t usually grow where they’re supposed to. As these teeth poke through the gums, you usually have two options. The first option is to return their kind greeting and give them lots of the attention they want by introducing them to your friend, the local dentist. The second option is to ignore them.
This is when they get awfully demanding. They crave attention and, like a child, will cause problems when they don’t get it. If ignored, wisdom teeth can cause your gums to get very red and inflamed, causing pain, irritation, infection, limited jaw opening, and crowding. Sometimes, it can cause damage to adjacent teeth, leave a bad taste/odor, and even, though rarely, cause cysts and tumors that damage the jawbones.
Not all wisdom teeth need to be removed, but from my experience, the unwise location they position themselves in cause problems. Wisdom teeth, located at the back of the mouth, are difficult to reach and maintain properly. Because they cannot be maintained properly, they decay easily. Also, when wisdom teeth are only partially erupted, the tissue flap partially covering the wisdom teeth called Operculum can get very swollen (a condition called pericoronitis). Antibiotics can clear up the infection temporarily, but the vicious cycle will continue until the underlying problem is solved, usually with the removal of wisdom teeth. Think of them as an uninvited houseguest. When they arrive, you can tolerate them, but then when they don’t leave, they get quite irritating. Unlike such guests who you kick out right away, most people learn to tolerate and live with them until they get unbearable and you finally decide to kick them out.
These are some immediate yet temporary reliefs.
1. Rinse with some warm salt water (1-2 teaspoons of salt in 8oz of water). This draws out the swelling.
2. Take up to 800 mg of Ibuprofen every 6 hours (Anti-inflammatory)
3. Ice pack to reduce swelling
4. Ambisol (numbs tissue/ found in baby aisle)
5. Reduce physical activity (no heavy lifting)
Eventually you should go to your dentist for evaluation, x-rays and a dental to diagnose and treat the problem. Most dentists prefer to take them out in younger people, because it’s easier when the roots/jaw bone is not fully formed. Younger people heal faster, too! Most people bring negative feelings about dental treatment, but ask yourself which you would prefer: painfully impacted wisdom teeth, bad breath, with a possibility of tumors and cysts, or a nice chat with your friendly local dentist that ends with a lollipop and two days of ice cream?
For the procedure itself, there are also options like sedation. Sedation works very well. When I had my wisdom teeth taken out, I only remember counting backwards from ten and then waking up with a sore mouth. With the help of some Ibuprofen, two days later, I was fine! If you learn anything here today, remember that wisdom teeth infections can be very dangerous and such infection could travel to other parts of the head and neck. It’s quite scary to think that your brain is so close. Go see your dentist TODAY!
Dr. Grace Lee has been serving the Clarksville dental community for the past 7 years. Follow her at www.facebook.com/gracedentaltn **Grace Dental, www.gracedentaltn.com, 304 Providence Blvd, Clarksville, (931) 648-4100** 