This post will teach you How to tell if your wisdom teeth are coming through. Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to emerge in adulthood. We typically have four – two on top, two on the bottom, and they generally emerge in our late teens or early 20s.
Wisdom teeth once served a purpose, when they were needed to help our ancestors chew rougher, coarser food. Raw nuts and meats are difficult for human teeth to chew, so wisdom teeth give our jaws a bit of extra chomping power.
However, our diets today are generally far gentler, and the trend has seen wisdom teeth come to be regarded as something of an anachronism – relics of our ancestors’ time.
Scientists believe that the average human’s jaw size has also shrunk, relative to our ancestors, and so wisdom teeth today can pose problems for us, as they fight for room in our shrinking mouths.
How to Tell If Your Wisdom Teeth Are Coming Through
With that bit of history behind us, let’s take a look at the symptoms you might experience when your wisdom teeth are emerging.
Pain In Your Gum, Eyes, And Sinuses
Pain can occur in your gums when teeth begin to emerge. This often happens in the very early stage of your wisdom teeth coming through, or right before they break through. You’ll experience swelling of the gums, as well as aches and pains.
The pain may become more pronounced as your teeth start to emerge, and the emerging wisdom teeth may even put pressure on nerves that trigger pain around your eyes, jaw, and ears.
Some people confuse the eye and facial pain from emerging wisdom teeth with sinusitis, or seasonal allergies. If you aren’t producing mucus, but are experiencing pain that would feel similar to sinus conditions, it could be a sign of emerging wisdom teeth.
This is because wisdom teeth can rub against major nerves in your sinuses, resulting in a sensation of swelling, pain, or fullness in your sinuses.
X-ray Shows Your Wisdom Teeth Are Coming Through
One of the best ways to know if your wisdom teeth are ready to come out is to see your dentist. An x-ray will be able to show your exact situation and prevent you from being left in pain for a longer period of time. Your dentist can use the x-ray to determine the best course of action, and how to help you alleviate pain and discomfort.
Many people dislike going to the dentist because they’d rather suffer a bit of discomfort, and try to treat toothaches with natural remedies than pay money for a procedure.
Instead of going crazy with pain, dabbing clove oil on the gum line just to try and get a bit of relief, just do yourself a favor and get to the dentist. You’ll be saving yourself a lot of pain, and you can save money with dental insurance only paying for costs incurred in the office.
Bleeding And Tender Gums
While some pain is normal at the onset of your wisdom teeth coming through, you’ll often experience bleeding around the gum line that could indicate an infection or inflammation.
Complications can become even more severe, such as disease and decay, when the wisdom teeth are only partially erupted.
This is because bacteria can collect under your gum line, and brushing and flossing your teeth won’t get them out. An impacted wisdom tooth can cause cysts on your gums, as white blood cells try to fight the infection and create pustules on the surface of your gums.
Are Wisdom Teeth Always Removed?
Wisdom teeth aren’t always removed. It depends on a lot of different factors. When wisdom teeth grow in fully, are correctly aligned, and do not pose a threat to the rest of your jaw, your dentist can usually let them stay. They are even useful as a set of backup molars.
However, many people have their wisdom teeth removed on the advice of their dentist, as the impact that these teeth can have down the road can be problematic. That is why it is important to go to the dentist before any of this happens. Always be prepared for a dental emergency!
Dentists usually recommend removing even healthy wisdom teeth, to avoid any potential complications in the future. The decision is always yours, but, if your dentist is recommending it, they are likely doing it for your benefit.
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