1. Treat a Harmless Impaction
The best treatment is noninterference when an impacted wisdom tooth is minding its own business and not causing any trouble. Problems arise when the wisdom tooth, in trying to erupt into the oral cavity, causes other teeth to shift more than slightly. Most dentists recommend simply monitoring the placement or movement of such wisdom teeth, unless examination or an X-ray shows that they are affecting the bite.
Maintain daily oral hygiene with brushing and flossing so that you will notice if anything starts to change in your mouth. As impacted teeth shift, they may protrude into the gum area, making it sore. A mouth rinse with warm salt water can ease this discomfort.
2. Treat an Infection
When wisdom teeth move, they may poke into the gums or other teeth in such a way that they are exposed to mouth bacteria. The cavity around the impacted and healthy teeth can become infected, causing redness, soreness, swelling and pain.
Your dentist can prescribe antibiotics and a course of action for treating the cause of the infection, the impacted tooth. Meanwhile, take acetaminophen, aspirin or ibuprofen to reduce swelling and pain. A moist-heat compress placed over the affected area will also soothe the pain that comes with a tooth infection.
3. Remove the Cause of Tooth Pain
Once wisdom teeth become troublemakers, poking around the teeth and soft tissue for more space or becoming infected, they probably won't get better on their own. This is when dentists recommend tooth extraction or ligation. You may lose one or all four of your third molars but gain a healthier mouth and body.
If you already have or need braces, your orthodontist may perform a ligation. This treatment brings the emerging, impacted tooth up through the gum surface so that an orthodontic aid can be attached to it. The wisdom tooth becomes part of the overall orthodontic correction. Otherwise, you may need to undergo surgical extraction, which will effectively uproot the cause of your impacted tooth pain.
Member Comments