Wisdom tooth extraction or wisdom tooth surgery | Pain in the wisdom tooth

Wisdom tooth extraction or wisdom tooth surgery

A wisdom tooth is quite often removed before the breakthrough, in a surgical procedure (OP) with opening of the jaw. However, not everyone has third molars, and many people do not have all or even no wisdom teeth. However, it is also possible to remove a wisdom tooth that is still completely or partially inside the jaw.

Especially in very young patients the roots are not yet fully formed and the surgical removal of the wisdom tooth is somewhat more difficult. In the first few days after the wisdom tooth surgery, swelling and bruising often occur, but these can be quickly controlled by careful cooling of the cheeks. When cooling, it is important to make sure that a thin towel or something similar is placed around the cooling pack.

Pain after the procedure is not uncommon either. The patient can be relieved with light painkillers, but should be careful not to take blood-thinning painkillers (e.g. aspirin). In general, sport or other physical activity should be avoided after the operation.

In addition, some patients report problems opening their mouths wide. In many cases, the wisdom teeth are removed to eliminate the pain and inflammation.But even after such an operation, pain can occur which, as long as it subsides over time, is part of the normal healing process. The duration of the healing process and the time in which pain can still occur depends on the degree of difficulty of the procedure performed and also on the patient’s sensitivity to pain.

However, if the pain lasts longer, it is advisable to consult the attending physician in order to exclude complications after such an intervention, such as alveolitis sicca. The upper jaw is better supplied with blood than the lower jaw, so the frequency of pain in the upper jaw is less frequent than in the lower jaw. After such an operation, the dentist often prescribes a preventive oral contraceptive that can be taken at home in case of too much pain and makes the healing process more bearable.

Cooling the cheek from the outside is also beneficial in this case, as is drinking chamomile or sage tea. The difficulty of wisdom tooth removal depends on the individual situation. Some teeth have already broken through completely and are therefore easier to remove, i.e. those that are still in the jawbone.

When removing teeth from the lower jaw, more bone tissue must be removed than in the upper jaw, because the covering bone is thinner there. Also the applied incision is smaller in the upper jaw. However, wound closure is somewhat slower in the upper jaw.

In most cases, the amount of bone substance does not regenerate, but this does not cause any further problems. This is especially the case if the removal has caused an opening in the maxillary sinus. In the lower jaw there is more likely to be a risk of nerve injury, so that the tongue or lower lip may be numb for a certain period of time.

In the lower jaw the wisdom teeth are a weak point. Immediately after the removal or up to four weeks afterwards, a jaw break can occur. However, this is really rare and osteoporosis (bone loss) is often responsible. In order to keep the risk of this as low as possible, you should avoid eating too hard food in the first period after the operation.