Are you experiencing pain that comes from a wisdom tooth? If the answer is yes, then you should visit your dentist’s office as soon as possible. However, you should also know that there are a few things that you can do before and after this visit in order to reduce the pain and discomfort.
Rinse your mouth
It turns out that the use of a mouthwash a few times a day can be quite helpful. You can use an ordinary rinse based on salt and water or a commercial mouthwash. What is important is to rinse for at least half a minute and to focus on the affected area. Perform this procedure 4-5 times a day until you notice that the symptoms are minimized. With the help of this rinsing, you will clean the area under the gum. This area is difficult to reach and this is exactly where the bad bacteria dwell.
Use painkillers
Painkillers are another great way to ease the pain. There are different over the counter painkillers that are useful when people are dealing with wisdom teeth. Some of these efficient painkillers include ibuprofen, codeine and even paracetamol mixed with codeine. Codeine is a great option for any people because it provides both pain relief and anti-inflammatory effects. What’s important is to understand that you should take these pills only if you know that they are safe for you. For example, experts recommend avoiding codeine when people have stomach ulceration. Every painkiller comes with certain side effects, so it is the best idea to learn more about them. In case you want to learn more about codeine (and other popular painkillers) click here.
In cases of extreme swelling and/or pain
Placing cold or hot packs on the problematic area may lead to relief. So, take a bottle filled with hot water or an ice pack and place it on the cheek. In case you notice any of these issues talk to your dentists right away: constant discomfort that doesn’t ease for more than a couple of days or extreme pain/swelling. In addition, if you notice any serious signs and symptoms like swelling of a large portion of the jaw or face, enlarged lymph nodes, constant spasms in the jaw, general discomfort, you should visit your dentist’s office right away.
The dental professionals can help you in different ways. To start with, they usually clean the area under the gum flap. They can also prescribe some kind of antibiotic in case the infection is strong. It is also common for dentists to smooth off the upper wisdom teeth or in some cases to extract wisdom teeth. When the upper wisdom tooth is putting pressure on the soft gum area, these two options seem reasonable. The good news is that it is much easier and simpler to extract upper wisdom teeth than lower ones. In many cases, a treatment focused on the upper wisdom tooth can provide quick relief.
Once you go to the dentist’s office, the dentist will take a closer look at the area and will probably take X-rays. With the help of X-rays, they will get a better view of the affected teeth. As you can see, there is more than one thing that you can do when you have problems with wisdom teeth, and it is up to you and your dentist to select the right one.