Wisdom tooth is most commonly a third molar and is the last tooth to erupt in oral cavity. It erupts at the age of 17 to 25 years – which is the generally the age when teenage turns to adult and is believed to gain wisdom, and so it is named thus. Otherwise it has nothing to do with ones wisdom. It is biggest misconception among people that along with the removal of this tooth, wisdom is also gone. In fact it has to be removed.
Need of wisdom teeth:
In ancient time early man used to have lots of raw food like raw vegetables, fruits, uncooked meat for which he had to have larger jaw size and better chewing efficiency. At that time they used to have up to four molars but now with progressing evolution food habits have changed, modern man is more dependent on processed food which requires less chewing efforts. So the jaw size has decreased and molars have reduced to two in number. But due to inheritance, normally, certain people have third molars in their mouth which is a vestigial (waste) organ. It only creates problems and affects the oral hygiene.
Impacted wisdom teeth:
Wisdom teeth which could not erupt due to space limitations and are not visible in mouth are called impacted teeth. They don’t get enough room to grow and are often found lying beneath the gum (soft tissue impaction) or bone (bony impaction).
Harms of wisdom teeth:
Most common side effect of keeping a wisdom tooth is inviting the poor oral hygiene. This tooth, due to its location, is not easily approachable and difficult to clean that will lead to food accumulation which will ultimately cause caries not only in the same tooth but also damages the adjacent tooth. It may also cause bad breath. Continuous severe pain will be there as the tooth can impinges the soft tissue of cheek area leading to ulceration of that area. Crowding is also the common problem as the erupting third molar exerts pressure on front teeth leading to its displacement causing misalignment of existing teeth.
In many cases a flap of soft tissue lies above the impacted tooth which gets inflamed. It is called as pericoronotis. It is associated with food lodgment, severe pain, which may radiate up to ear, forehead, and throat. Pain can be relieved by thoroughly irrigating the area with hydrogen peroxide or rinsing the mouth with mouthwash containing the same. Pain killers and anti- inflammatory drugs can also be helpful.
Treatment:
Wisdom tooth should be removed if it is paining a lot. Dentist should be consulted before the condition worsens. Extraction should be done under proper antibiotic coverage and post extraction instructions, given by the dentist, should strictly be followed.
Herbal Remedies to Wisdom Tooth Ache:
- Apply clove oil on the tooth. It will bring immediate relief from the pain.
- Cut a slice of cold onion equal to that of the affected area. Place the cut slice on the tooth and chew gently. Let the juice drip into the affected area. The anti bacterial property of the onion will destroy the bacteria which causes the pain.
- Take a clove of garlic, sprinkle salt on it and apply on the aching teeth. It will bring immediate relief from the pain.
- Gargle with the mixture of water and fresh lime juice. It will help in reducing the tooth ache.
