Wisdom Tooth Blues

Wisdom teeth are the bane of many people’s existence, as they seem to serve no other purpose except to get impacted, infected, and in general cause a ton of pain. They do not facilitate chewing much, but do increase the risk of crowding and the need for orthodontry. They are teeth that may seem like they have been inserted by dentists to secure their jobs for as long as possible. They are completely vestigial, and more often than not need to be removed due to one or another problem that can occur regarding them. 

Home remedies

Unless you are a surgeon, there is not much by the way of home remedies. What can be done, however, is to relieve the symptoms, which are pain, swelling, and in general soreness of the mouth. Over the counter pain medications, such as Ibuprofen and Tylenol has been reported as being mostly ineffective, with very mild relief that lasts an all too short amount of time. Topical agents, such as clove oil, anise extract and teething gels and ointments tend to work much better, and can usually relieve swelling as well. When your teeth hurt and are swollen, it is also helpful to gargle water and mouthwash as well, as the cool liquid rushing over your teeth can be a very welcome sensation indeed, not to mention that swelling is reduced when it comes into contact with anything cold. This is why ice is usually also offered as a home remedy, but beware! Too cold and your already inflamed nerves may shriek out in pain!

Real Remedies

As often is the case with home remedies, they are not in fact a remedy, but at most a pain relieving tactic. They do not fight the causes of the condition, and thus do nothing to alleviate the condition as it exists, but rather just soften the symptoms. However, the problem will persist. The only real solution is to go and see a dentist or better yet, an oral surgeon who can help you with your problem, which will only be solved by removing the wisdom tooth.

The solution

All things considered, the best option is to book an appointment to a dentist as soon as possible, go for an x-ray (as extractions cannot be done without them), and  get that wisdom tooth extracted at once. In the meantime, stock up on over the counter pain medication and topicals, which you can use liberally. It is important to not eat too much Ibuprofen or other pain killers directly before the appointment, as they have a blood thinning effect, and may make it more difficult to extract your tooth.  

Sources & Images: 1, 2, 3, 4