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Are you in pain due to wisdom teeth? Almost everyone aged 18 or above has wisdom teeth. Not everyone has the same amount of teeth and will get four wisdom teeth that will emerge at the back of the mouth. About 25% of the population is missing one or more molars. You may experience symptoms from your wisdom teeth. A toothache is a very annoying pain and can be caused by several factors. For instance, inflammation may have developed around the molar or your gums may have started to swell. If the symptoms persist, it is wise to see your dentist. He or she can possibly pull your wisdom teeth or give you tips on how to care for them.
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Wisdom teeth arise at the very back of your mouth. These molars will come through at the age of about 17 or 18, i.e. after puberty. Sometimes the molars do not come through at all or the growth of the molars lags behind due to lack of space. About 25% of the population is even missing one or more wisdom teeth. 1 Missing these molars is not a problem and is usually hereditary. Unfortunately, it can also happen that your molars do not fully erupt or that you develop symptoms of these molars.
Wisdom teeth pain is a very annoying pain and can be caused by several factors. However, the most common pain symptoms arise from inflammation around the molar or from irritated and swollen gums.
Inflammation on or around the molar can be very unpleasant. The pain can be throbbing but also stabbing and when experiencing pain symptoms, it is therefore wise to make an appointment with the dentist. An inflamed wisdom tooth can be caused by food and bacteria getting between the molar and the gums. Back teeth are often harder to keep clean, giving bacteria more opportunity. Also, a molar may not grow through the gums properly. This will cause the gums to keep inflaming because the top ‘patch’ does not get a chance to recover. It is then important to have your molar treated by the dentist.
When you suffer from ingrown wisdom teeth, your gums can swell and irritate. Your molar then does not grow properly, which also prevents your body from clearing the inflammation itself. This can cause a lot of pain and inconvenience when chewing food. In the worst case, an abscess may even develop, which then needs to be surgically removed.
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Pain on a molar can be caused by inflammation or swollen gums, but you can also experience a lot of pain and discomfort when molars come through. This is because the molars have to grow through the gums. The back molars often start coming through after puberty at the age between 17 and 15 years. Basically, you get a total of four wisdom teeth, but in 25% of people, one or more are missing. The pain of molars coming through often lasts for several days and occurs in fits and starts. This is because the molars do not grow all at once but in several stages.
It may sometimes be necessary to have your molars pulled. It is then important to make an appointment with the dentist, who pulls the molars. The dentist often pulls the molars after choosing to grow the wisdom teeth. Removing a molar depends on the treatment. Are you supplementary insured for dental care? Then the costs are often (partially) reimbursed.
Wisdom teeth are in an awkward place in the mouth. It is therefore important to clean these molars properly. Choose a good, preferably electric (sonic) toothbrush and make sure you floss your molars daily. Using toothpicks and other care products are also recommended.
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Related Trusted Sources
1. Jung YH, Cho BH. Prevalence of missing and impacted third molars in adults aged 25 years and above. Imaging Sci Dent. 2013 Dec;43(4):219-25. doi: 10.5624/isd.2013.43.4.219. Epub 2013 Dec 12. PMID: 24380060; PMCID: PMC3873309.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3873309/Popular categories
Frequently asked questions
What causes wisdom teeth pain?
Pain in the molars can be caused by inflammation around the molars or by irritated and swollen gums. Pain can also occur when the molars come through at the age of 17 or 18. The tooth then has to break through the gums which can cause painful pressure.
What can I do about wisdom tooth pain myself?
It is important to take good care of your molars. Brush your teeth twice a day with a good (electric) toothbrush and make sure you floss your molars daily to remove dirt between your molars and the gums.
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