Wisdom Tooth Pain

Throbbing pain at the back of the jaw, red or swollen gum over the tooth, a bad taste or bad breath, pain when you bite or open wide, and sometimes a fever. Call to be seen the same day.

Swelling that spreads toward the eye, throat or neck, trouble swallowing or breathing, or a high fever needs the ER or 911 first. Localized swelling around the tooth is ours to treat the same day.

Yes. Pain from a lower wisdom tooth travels to the ear, jaw and side of the head along the same nerves, which is why the x-ray is the way to confirm where it starts.

Yes. A wisdom tooth angled into the molar in front of it traps plaque against that tooth and can cause decay, gum disease or root damage there. Catching it early protects the tooth you want to keep.

It keeps causing trouble. Repeated gum infections, decay in it and the molar beside it, bone loss around the back teeth and, rarely, a cyst in the jaw are all possible when a problem wisdom tooth stays.

Yes: book online anytime at www.deluxedentistry.com/schedule-appointment. You can also call (609) 400-1393 or (609) 303-2005 during office hours.

The x-ray shows the angle of the tooth, its roots, the bone around it, hidden decay, any damage to the molar beside it and, for a lower tooth, how close the roots sit to the nerve. That decides whether it stays or comes out, and how.

Yes, when it is fully in, not causing pain, free of decay, easy to clean and surrounded by healthy gum. Your regular exams and x-rays keep an eye on it.

Sometimes. Cleaning and flushing out the gum around a partly erupted tooth settles a first flare-up. When infections keep coming back or the tooth is decayed or impacted, removal ends them.

An impacted wisdom tooth is one that can’t come in fully because there isn’t room. It may be trapped under the gum (soft-tissue impaction) or partly or fully in the bone, upright, angled forward, angled back or lying on its side.

A tooth that is fully in comes out quickly; a deeply impacted tooth, or several teeth at once, takes longer.

Only the ones that need to come out. Some patients need one removed, others have several taken out in one visit with sedation. The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons explains how wisdom teeth are evaluated.

There is very little to do. Dr. Godko goes over everything with you at the visit, coordinates with your physician when necessary and gives you clear instructions before and after. If you choose oral or IV sedation, arrange for someone to drive you home.

Don’t cut or drain the gum yourself, and skip smoking and vaping. A warm salt-water rinse, soft foods on the other side and a cold compress on the cheek are safe while you wait.

With local anesthesia alone, yes. After oral or IV sedation, a responsible adult drives you home, and Dr. Godko tells you when it is safe to drive again.

You are typically back to work and normal activities within a few days. You leave with aftercare instructions, a follow-up visit is scheduled, and both offices are ready to immediately assist with any concerns.

The area is fully numbed, so you feel pressure rather than sharp pain, and sedation is there if you want it. Soreness and swelling afterward are normal and ease over the first few days.

Soft, cool foods at first: yogurt, smoothies (with a spoon, not a straw), applesauce, mashed potatoes, eggs and soup that isn’t hot. Add firmer foods as the soreness eases, and chew on the other side for the first few days.

Soreness and swelling typically ease within a few days, and you are typically back to normal activities in that time. The gum then closes over the socket, and the bone underneath fills in over time.

Normal healing gets a little better every day. Dry socket is pain that gets stronger a few days after the extraction instead of easing, with a bad taste or an empty-looking socket. Both offices are ready to immediately assist: call either one and it is treated promptly. More on emergency tooth extraction.