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Breakthrough of the wisdom teeth

Introduction - The wisdom tooth is coming

The growth of teeth or their eruption occurs at a similar point in time in most people and usually only fluctuates by a few months. However, one can only imprecisely predict the eruption time of the wisdom teeth.
Some patients have no wisdom teeth at all - others have germs for all four wisdom teeth. Before the teeth erupt, an X-ray should be taken to see how the teeth are in the jaw. In some cases, the teeth do not erupt. Sometimes growth stops during the breakthrough so that only part of the crown is visible in the mouth.

If the eruption of wisdom teeth goes without complications in some people, others suffer from severe pain and inflammation that lasts for several months.

At what age do wisdom teeth erupt?

The average age at which wisdom teeth erupt is around 16 years. Girls tend to be earlier in tooth development. Your wisdom teeth can also erupt as early as the age of 15.

The timing also depends heavily on the age of the child's teeth. If the 2nd large molar has broken out prematurely, the wisdom teeth will probably come earlier. They then erupt around four years after the second large molar, the so-called 12-year molar.

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Duration of the wisdom tooth eruption

The duration of the eruption of the wisdom teeth varies from person to person. For some, the breakthrough is without any complaints. They may begin to break through and then pause again. This increases the time for the breakthrough. In addition, the eruption can stagnate completely, so that the wisdom tooth does not appear at all or only partially and then no more growth takes place.
Since no tooth has erupted at this point of the jaw, it is difficult, if a tooth is displaced, to penetrate the possibly thicker bone layer.

In this way, the wisdom tooth eruption succeeds faster

Massage with your finger, preferably with your index finger and thumb, can make the breakthrough faster. It is important that the fingers are clean and washed, otherwise the gums in the area of the wisdom teeth can become inflamed. The massage should not be too firm, otherwise you can hinder or slow down the breakthrough. It is recommended to gently massage the bone from all sides.
The wisdom teeth erupt faster when there is enough space. During the regular dental check-ups you can ask whether there is enough space. The dentist can take an X-ray that provides information about the anatomical relationships.

That is how painful a wisdom tooth eruption is

The perception of pain differs from person to person. Some people are less prone to pain and can endure more, while others feel every little change. Since the tooth can be in a displaced position, it is possible that the close proximity to the ear can lead to pulling ear pain.
In many cases, however, you only feel a dull pressure pain. But it can also spread as a headache. The pain is particularly severe if the breakthrough is inflamed.

These pain relievers help

First and foremost, it helps to cool the painful area. It is important that the cold does not cause pain in the other teeth. You can cool the cheek from the outside with cool packs. In the case of radiating ear pain, however, it is more helpful to keep the cheek and ears warm. Keeping cool water in your mouth or eating ice cream can also help reduce the pain.

Pain relievers like ibuprofen also help or paracetamol. However, they should not be taken for more than 3 days at a time without medical advice. In harmless cases, a surface anesthetic preparation is sufficient.They are available as a spray or as lozenges. The gums are numbed and the pain is relieved at this point.

Dentinox®

Dentinox® is a teething gel. It is often used on babies who are getting their milk teeth. The wisdom tooth corresponds to the milk teeth in terms of the mode of eruption. Depending on the pain, you can massage a pea-sized amount onto the gums three times a day after brushing your teeth. The fingers should be clean so as not to provoke inflammation.
The gel contains chamomile, which works against the inflammation. It also contains lidocaine. This is a local anesthetic that relieves pain on the surface of the gums. If an intolerance to lidocaine is known, Dentinox® should not be used. Dentinox® does not require a prescription and is therefore available in both pharmacies and drugstores. It also contains sorbitol. Patients with fructose intolerance should also be careful.

These are the complications of wisdom tooth eruption

Often there is not enough space for the wisdom teeth. Often they are also relocated, i.e. they are not in the optimal position or are on the wrong axis. This ultimately leads to them trying to grow crookedly out of the jaw.

The problem here is that the crowns of the wisdom teeth then dissolve the roots of the permanent teeth ("resorb"). This loosens the permanent tooth. The forward pressure sets the entire row of teeth in small motion, so that the teeth can shift.

So-called "Gum hoodsThis means that the gums cover the tooth a little, but it does not adhere to it. This creates a niche for bacteria and food that tend to settle there and lead to a very painful inflammation.

Due to the proximity between the jaw, temporomandibular joint and ear, the pain can also radiate into this area. With a so-called "Dentitio difficilis", a difficult tooth eruption, in severe cases an abscess or cyst can develop as bacteria can get under the gums.

In addition, there may be difficulties with oral hygiene due to the limited space available. In particular, the wisdom tooth that has not yet fully erupted is rarely caught during normal tooth brushing. Therefore, tooth decay on wisdom teeth is not uncommon and can lead to considerable pain.

Read correspondingly:

Wisdom tooth pain
Caries on the wisdom tooth

inflammation

An inflammation of the wisdom tooth during the eruption is not uncommon. The breakthrough is fraught with more complications compared to the rest of the teeth. Often there is not enough space behind the last molar for the wisdom tooth growing out. If this cannot completely grow out of the bone with its crown, the gums will not be pushed completely to the side. Bacteria can get between the tooth surface and the gums. They nest in the little cave ("Gum hood") and multiply. This place is ideal for the growth of bacteria. On the one hand, it is always warm and humid in the oral cavity, and on the other hand, they keep getting nutrients from eating.

Self Thoroughly brushing your teeth cannot adequately clean under this gum hood. The accumulation of bacteria leads to inflammation. One of the reasons for the pain of the inflammation is that the pressure in the cavity increases and cannot be compensated for. Any pus that may have developed cannot drain away either. As a rule, the body of young, healthy adolescents is strong enough to fight the inflammation. However, removal is often recommended for inflamed wisdom teeth.

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Gum hood on the wisdom tooth

As soon as the wisdom tooth is broken through the jawbone, it still has to push through the gums. In many cases there is not enough space in the dental arch so that the tooth cannot completely erupt. If the tooth crown is not long enough, it cannot completely break through the gums. So there is usually a small gum hood on the back that overlaps the tooth. There can be leftover food that is difficult to reach with a toothbrush. Over time, the gums can become inflamed with bacteria that form what is known as a gum pocket.

It is important that the wisdom tooth is cleaned especially during the eruption. Small pockets also appear during the breakthrough. At one point the tooth may have already erupted and made a hole in the gum. Bacteria can also get in through this hole and migrate down the root.

If the problem occurs again and again, you can also consider removing the wisdom teeth.

Find out more at: Pull wisdom tooth