Wisdom teeth or “eight” teeth grow in adults. By this age, the jaw is fully formed, there are 28 permanent teeth. Eruption takes about a month and a half, then roots form within 3-4 years. The first period is almost always accompanied by painful sensations and inflammatory processes. During root formation, discomfort rarely occurs. In the case of pathological eruption, inflammation and pain may continue for a long time. Whether discomfort is an indication for removal of the “eight” will be determined by the doctor during a diagnostic examination.
Symptoms of wisdom teeth erupting
Features of growth
Symptoms of the appearance of wisdom teeth
If your wisdom tooth grows incorrectly
How to relieve pain when wisdom teeth erupt
If a wisdom tooth grows during pregnancy
Eights, also known as wisdom teeth or third molars, are the most “problematic” teeth. They are the last to erupt, from about 16 to 30 years of age. At this age, the jaw is already formed, so the eights simply do not have enough space in the dentition, so when they appear, they begin to cause discomfort.
Ways to fight
You can reduce pain symptoms before going to the doctor. To do this, gently massage the problem area with a piece of ice. Before the procedure, hands are washed with soap and disinfected. The movements are performed in a circle. The procedure helps relieve pain for 15-30 minutes without harm to health.
Do not intensively rub ice on the inflamed area. Otherwise, you can damage the hood of the wisdom tooth and cause increased bleeding and swelling. Massage using ice is performed for 5 minutes 3-5 times a day.
Before rubbing, nails must be trimmed to prevent injury to the mucous membranes and the spread of infection throughout the oral cavity. During your examination, your dentist will recommend a suitable anti-inflammatory ointment to relieve swelling in your gums and palate. Instead of an ice massage, mint candies or ice cream are dissolved. The products temporarily reduce the sensitivity of the problem area.
To properly grind food, it is not necessary to have a full row in your mouth. 28 teeth are enough for high-quality chewing of food, so when the first signs of pain in the eights appear, you should immediately visit a doctor so that he can assess the situation. It is advisable to insist on preserving the unit only if a person is diagnosed with multiple absences of teeth in a row. In this case, figure eights can be used as a basis for prosthetics. In this case, it is better to treat the elements, even if they are affected by caries or pulpitis. In other situations, it would be more advisable to remove third molars, since the consequences of their improper eruption are much more dangerous than the potential benefits of their presence in the row.
Features of growth
Unlike molars, eights do not have milk precursors in their buds. They erupt after the permanent teeth appear. You can see how this happens in the picture.
Eruption of wisdom teeth depending on age
When molars emerge, a crown forms on the third molar. Then, after a few years, roots begin to grow. Only after the wisdom tooth inside has fully formed does it begin to erupt.
Function of the eighth molars
Dentists call them spares. Where does the wisdom tooth grow? It stands on par with the others, is classified as molars, but is practically not used for chewing food. The main purpose is to hold teeth so that they do not become loose and move apart. If a nearby molar is lost, it will take its place and perform the necessary functions. During dental prosthetics, the figure eight can become a support. During development, the human skull has changed, the jaw has become smaller and there is no room for a molar. Young people do not have such a tooth even in its rudiments.
Difficulties that arise during the appearance of eights
| Pericoronitis. This is an inflammation of the gum tissue surrounding the visible part of the tooth. If you delay a visit to the dentist, purulent inflammation (abscess or phlegmon) may appear. Manifestation of pericoronitis: severe pain when opening the mouth or while eating, bad breath. In most cases, this disease occurs in 80% of people when the lower eights erupt. |
| Dystopia of the tooth. This is an incorrect position of the tooth in the jaw, that is, the eights can be located horizontally or at an angle. Over time, they begin to push against neighboring ones, leading to their destruction. Most often, dystopia is inherited. To avoid complications, it is recommended to remove dystopic wisdom teeth. |
| Retention. This is when the tooth has partially erupted or not erupted at all. If the tooth does not hurt and does not interfere with its neighbors, then it can be left. Conversely, if a tooth causes unbearable pain and destroys the roots of an adjacent tooth, then it should be removed. |
| Hidden caries . An affected wisdom tooth can cause caries to spread to other teeth; in this case, it is better to remove the tooth. |
Appearance time and quantity
They can erupt at 18, 25, 30, 40 years old, or they may be absent from a person’s jaws throughout his entire life. Usually there are four of them (two at the top and two at the bottom). This is the number that is considered the norm, since together with the rest of its “brothers” it amounts to 32 teeth. However, there may be more wisdom teeth. Some people develop one or two ninth teeth over time, while others
the number of teeth in this group can reach 10! In general, the presence or absence of wisdom teeth, the time of their appearance and the number depend, first of all, on hereditary factors, as well as on the size and shape of the jaws.
It is also interesting that by the age of three, the rudiments of molars begin to form in a person. It is during this period of time that the picture becomes clearer with the further formation of at least one wisdom tooth and the total number of such already embedded teeth. And by about 12 years of age, when all the other molars have already erupted and play an important role in chewing food, the formation of the crown of the wisdom tooth is nearing completion.
Symptoms of the appearance of wisdom teeth
As a rule, the eruption of figure eights is accompanied by certain symptoms.
Pain in the gums.
It can be different: aching, pulsating or sharp. This all lasts for several days, or maybe the entire time the tooth grows.
Swelling and swelling.
Sometimes during the period of teething, swelling or swelling appears on the gums. In case of severe swelling, which is accompanied by severe pain and fever, it is recommended to consult a doctor.
Increased body temperature.
An abnormally growing wisdom tooth may be accompanied by an increase in temperature. If the values do not go beyond 38 degrees, there is no need to worry - this is the norm. If the readings are higher, you should make an appointment with your dentist.
A sore throat.
Occurs during an infectious process. During teething, the mucous membrane is very vulnerable, so during this period it is necessary to devote more time to hygiene in order to avoid infection.
What pathologies cause problems?
There are several common situations that can cause severe pain and the need for your tooth to be removed. These include:
- Incorrect position inside the gum. There can be a lot of location options here. For some clients, teeth grow sideways, while for others, the lights begin to put extreme pressure on adjacent units, potentially even causing noticeable misalignment. The biggest risk in this case is the potential appearance of a malignant tumor, which will have to be operated on. If a wisdom tooth begins to grow crooked, it can no longer be corrected. The only option is deletion.
- Damage to a neighboring unit. In this case, pain will arise not only from the outermost molar, but also from the gradual destruction of the tooth itself. The risks in such a situation are great - it may be necessary to remove both units. We strongly recommend not to let this happen and consult a doctor in advance.
- Inflammation of the gums. A number of patients also experience a spread of the inflammatory process. The reason is the very location of the third molars and their great distance from the rest of the teeth. Inflammation in the gums is dangerous for the entire human body. It can develop into suppuration, the development of facial asymmetry, and general intoxication of the body.
The process of teething itself can also cause discomfort, even if the figure eight grows correctly. Since the dentition is completely renewed at an early age, we often simply forget how unpleasant it is.
If your wisdom tooth grows incorrectly
Complications often arise when figure eights are cut out incorrectly.
- Flux is a purulent inflammation of the periosteum.
- Cellulitis is a purulent inflammation, which is accompanied by an increase in temperature to 39 degrees and swelling of the face.
- Osteomyelitis is an inflammatory disease that affects bone tissue. Main symptoms: fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.
If unpleasant symptoms occur, it is recommended to make an appointment with a dentist-surgeon. He will assess the condition of the tooth and help avoid the risks of complications. You can make an appointment with our specialists by calling: 220-86-30.
How to relieve pain when wisdom teeth erupt
The easiest way to get rid of unpleasant symptoms is to take over-the-counter painkillers.
- To relieve pain and fever: Nurofen, Ibuprofen, Nimesulide, Paracetamol.
- To eliminate pain: “Spazmalgon”, “Ketanov”, “Analgin”, “Pentalgin”, etc.
- Antiseptics to relieve symptoms and prevent complications: Miramistin, Chlorhexidine, Furacilin, etc.
- For local pain relief: “Kamistad”, “Kalgel”, “Cholisal”.
You can use folk remedies.
- Rinse solution made from salt and soda. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt and soda in a glass of warm water. It is recommended to rinse your mouth no more than 3 times a day.
- Rinse solution made from propolis tincture. Stir 7-8 drops of tincture in a glass of warm water. The solution is also a natural antiseptic.
- Cold compress. Under no circumstances should it be hot - heat may cause inflammation.
- Sage decoction. Pour 1 tablespoon of sage into a glass of boiling water, leave for an hour, strain. You can rinse until relief occurs.
Relieving pain during wisdom tooth eruption is only a short-term solution. A competent consultation with a doctor will help you cope with pain and possible complications.
How long does it take to cut through a figure eight?
The duration of wisdom tooth growth is influenced by many factors. On average, it takes about 2-3 years from the appearance of the first signs to complete eruption. The speed at which a tooth is released from the gum depends on both the size of the jaw and its location in it. Vertical “eights”, if there is free space, fully grow in 1-2 years. Horizontal and slanted units on a small jaw may take 2-5 years to release. Considering that each of the 4 wisdom teeth can begin to grow at different times, the appearance of all of them can take up to 10 years.
If a wisdom tooth grows during pregnancy
If the eights began to grow during pregnancy, then the expectant mother should make an appointment with a doctor. This will help protect the baby from negative consequences and significantly improve the well-being of the pregnant woman. If there are unpleasant symptoms (improper position, pain, inflammation), the dentist may recommend removing the wisdom tooth. In this case, it is better to do this in the second trimester, when the operation will not harm either the mother or the child. At other times, it is not recommended to carry out any procedures unless there is a threat to the health of the woman and baby.
What to do in such a situation
If you experience the symptoms listed above, you should consult a specialist as soon as possible. At the appointment, the dentist will examine your mouth and take an x-ray.
The x-ray clearly shows how the tooth grows and how much pressure it puts on its neighbors. Based on the results, several actions can be assigned:
- Cutting the gums to facilitate the teething process.
- Prescribing special medications to relieve inflammation.
- Complete removal.
An adjacent unit may also need to be treated or removed if it has been severely damaged.
