Remedies for Wisdom Teeth Pain
If your wisdom teeth emerge normally you may never experience any problem or pain for the rest of your life. However, a tender or impacted wisdom tooth can cause pain while eating, drinking, sleeping or even when cold air enters your mouth. When you cannot rush to a dentist for the onset of a toothache, there are remedies you can try at home.
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History
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Early humans had larger jaws and used their wisdom teeth to break up tougher diets. It was once believed that as humans evolved, the jaw became smaller, allowing less room for wisdom teeth which, as a result, caused dental problems. More recent research indicates that dental issues related to wisdom teeth are actually due to a change from a coarse, abrasive diet to a soft diet, inadequate dental care and genetic factors, possibly including mutations.
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Function
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Wisdom teeth are the last of your teeth to erupt, and can cause pain for many reasons. If you have an impacted wisdom tooth, you may experience a headache, pain or tenderness in your gums, notice swelling around your jaw area or have red or swollen gums around your wisdom tooth. Your wisdom toothache may also be caused by tooth decay that is about to infect the nerve endings and blood vessels. Your toothache could also be an indication of gum infection, molar decay, cracked bicuspid, a side effect of a sinus problem or simply because you have food caught between your teeth.
Treatments
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Remedies available for relieving wisdom teeth pain involve using several ingredients you may find in your home. You can chew a piece of garlic with some salt or place a small piece of onion on the wisdom tooth to relieve your wisdom tooth pain. Place a cotton ball soaked with lime juice and place it on the affected tooth. You can use an ice cube or teething ring and place it directly on the painful tooth for relief. Cloves have been found useful in relieving toothache. Suck on a clove or place a few drops of clove oil on your wisdom tooth. You can also rinse with salt water to get rid of a tooth infection and help cure your toothache. Place a cotton ball soaked in brandy against the affected tooth or take a sip of the brandy by placing it over the painful tooth.
Effects
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The various remedies available for wisdom tooth pain provide pain relief and soothing effects. Garlic and onions are commonly used in treating tooth pain because of their natural antibacterial properties help destroy the bacteria that cause tooth decay. Once the bacteria is killed, the pain naturally eases. Similarly, limes, which are rich in vitamin C, are used to remedy wisdom tooth pain because their acidic nature kills bacteria and provides toothache relief. Limes have the additional benefit of helping maintain healthy teeth and gums, preventing tooth decay and the loosening of teeth and bleeding gums. Ice and alcohol, such as brandy, help numb the area to provide temporary pain relief. Alcohol and salt water help to kill bacteria.
Prevention/Solution
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While wisdom tooth pain may not be completely preventable, especially if you have overcrowding in your mouth, there are some measures you can take to maintain good oral health and minimize the onset of tooth pain. After meals, rinse your mouth to release food trapped between your gum and wisdom tooth, brush your teeth regularly and floss to prevent bacteria buildup from remaining in your mouth. You can also ask your orthodontist about the health and positioning of your wisdom teeth to determine whether your wisdom teeth are erupting in upwards or sideways. Accordingly, your dentist may recommend removal or refer you to an oral surgeon for further evaluation.
Warning
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If your wisdom tooth pain does not improve or worsens, you should contact your dentist. Where pain relievers will not correct the situation, your dentist may advise for you to get your wisdom teeth removed.
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References
Resources
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