You've heard aboutyour wisdom teeth, but have you ever wondered why they're calledthat? Wisdom teeth are the last molars to come in and grow. Typically, peoplehave four of them on each side of their jaws. When wisdom teeth come innormally—when there is enough room for them—they erupt between ages 17 and 25.Some people don't get their wisdom teeth or only have one or two of the typicalfour molars. These "lucky" folks may not even realize they hadproblems with their mouths! But if you're not so lucky, you'll want to knowwhen your wisdom teeth are coming in and what signs indicate they're startingto appear. Let's explore some common signs to look for when your wisdom teeth start coming in!
You may feel mild tomoderate pain in your jaw, especially when chewing. The pain may be worse whenyou yawn or open your mouth wide. This can be caused by pressure on the nerveendings as the tooth emerges or by an injury from one of those sharp edges. Thesoreness is often accompanied by swelling and redness in the area where thesenew teeth are coming in, but this isn't always the case—and it's certainly nota given that everyone with wisdom teeth will experience any kind of discomfortat all (although many do).
If you feel likeyour mouth is getting crowded, it may be because your wisdom teeth are coming in. If your jaw is too small for the new adultteeth to fit properly, they can crowd your other teeth and cause pain or damagethem. In some cases, they can also grow under the gums or sideways into sinuscavities resulting in infection and swelling around the face. This is becausethey can get stuck, making it difficult for them to break through the gumtissue. The pain associated with this is called "inflammation" or"inflammation of the gums" and it's caused by pressure on thesurrounding tissues as well as irritation from food particles that accumulatearound the area while trying to break through. The best way to avoid this kindof pain is to get your wisdom teeth checked regularly so they can be removed ifthey start causing problems!
You may be able tofeel your wisdom teeth growing. They'll be coming in through the gum, so youcan detect their presence by feeling the bumps on your gums with your tongue.It's normal to feel some soreness in this area as they grow.
In some cases, youmay also be able to feel them with your fingers if they've broken through thesurface of the gums and are just hanging out there (this is called"impacted"). But don't worry—it's only temporary! Once they breakthrough, they'll erupt into full-fledged teeth and will no longer be an issuefor you.
If your wisdom teethare coming in, you may be more likely to have bleeding after eating. You maynotice some bleeding from the gums or the back of your throat. This is normaland should go away as your teeth settle into their permanent positions, but ifyou're still experiencing it after two weeks, you should check in with a doctorand visit the dentist's office sooner rather than later.
If you start experiencing any of these symptoms, let us know immediatelyso we can determine if any treatment is necessary!
