Wisdom teeth are actually third molars that grow at the back of the mouth. If they don't have enough room to grow normally, some wisdom teeth will tear the gums and make the gums feel sore afterwards. Because the location is so remote, wisdom teeth will be more difficult to clean, making them more susceptible to decay and causing gum problems. If you have wisdom teeth that are not fully erupted and are reluctant to have them surgically removed, at least try to maintain good dental hygiene to minimize disturbances such as decay, infection, or persistent pain.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Keeping Wisdom Teeth Clean
Step 1. Scrub your wisdom teeth with a narrow-headed toothbrush
Remember, maintaining good oral hygiene, including the area around wisdom teeth, is very important to maximizing your oral health. To make the area around your wisdom teeth easier to clean, you can use a narrow-headed toothbrush that is easier to reach between your teeth.
- Brush your teeth at least twice a day, in the morning and at night before going to bed. If you want, you can also brush your teeth after eating to remove any adhering food residue.
- Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to avoid irritating the teeth. Then, brush your teeth gently using a circular motion. Because the gums around the wisdom teeth are inflamed, their sensitivity will automatically increase. That's why, you should rub the area with very gentle movements so that the pain and inflammation that appears does not worsen. If you prefer, you can also use a single-tufted toothbrush (which has a very small brush head) or an electric toothbrush, which is safer for your teeth and gums.
- Make sure you also scrub the area under the operculum (the gum that covers some of the wisdom teeth).
- Also rub your tongue so that food debris and bacteria that stick there don't end up entering the gums and worsening the infection.
- Use toothpaste that contains fluoride so that the cleaning process can take place more optimally.
Step 2. Floss your teeth at least once a day
Take the time to clean food residue between your teeth with regular or special electric floss. Also clean the remaining food that is attached to the wisdom teeth and in the exposed gums using floss.
- Prepare a thread that is 45 cm or so long, then wrap both sides around both index fingers (or whatever finger feels more comfortable for you). Then, pinch the ends of the threads with your thumb and middle finger to make the cleaning process more effective.
- Clean your teeth very carefully! Bend the floss away from the tooth when it touches the gum line.
- Brush the sides of each tooth in an up and down motion. Ideally, each tooth should be cleaned for 30 seconds. Try timing it out until you get used to it!
- Use additional dental floss if necessary.
- You can brush your teeth first or floss them first, although some studies show that flossing teeth can absorb fluoride more effectively.
- Dental floss can be purchased at supermarkets, pharmacies, and retail stores.
Step 3. Use a mouthwash that contains antiseptic ingredients
After brushing your teeth and flossing, rinse your mouth with mouthwash. Several studies have shown that gargling with mouthwash can reduce plaque and prevent the risk of gingivitis. As a result, oral health can be more awake. In addition, mouthwash can also help clean up food debris and germs that stick between the teeth.
- Make sure that the mouthwash reaches the entire side of the mouth, especially the wisdom tooth area.
- A mouthwash containing chlorhexidine above 0.02% is the best choice. Avoid products that contain alcohol because of the risk of making your mouth feel dry and your breath smells bad.
- Mouthwashes containing chlorhexidine can be purchased at most pharmacies and large supermarkets.
- After two weeks of gargling, rest for a week to prevent staining of your teeth.
Step 4. Gargle with salt water if your gums are inflamed
Gargling with a simple salt water solution is effective in keeping your teeth and mouth clean between brushing your teeth. In addition, the salt water solution can also relieve inflammation that makes the gums painful.
- Make a simple saline solution by dissolving tsp. salt in 250 ml of warm water.
- Gargle with the saline solution for 30 seconds before spitting it out.
- Gargle with a salt water solution after eating to clean up any food debris left between your teeth.
- Saline solution can relieve sore and inflamed gums caused by wisdom teeth.
- Chamomile tea can also help reduce inflammation so you can use it as a gargle once a day.
Step 5. Rinse the area around the wisdom teeth with the help of an irrigator
In addition to the irrigator, you can also use a plastic syringe to spray water around the wisdom teeth. Do this process after eating and before going to bed if you want to remove food residue that has accumulated more effectively.
- Fill the irrigator with a simple saline solution. If the water pressure is too strong and hurts the gums, keep the tip of the irrigator apart and spray the solution in a circular motion for about 30 seconds.
- Place the tip of the irrigator near your wisdom teeth.
- Irrigators can be purchased at most pharmacies and most health supply stores.
Step 6. Keep the humidity in the mouth
Drink as much water as possible so that the moisture in the mouth is maintained properly. Remember, good humidity can minimize the production of bacteria and reduce the risk of infection!
Step 7. Schedule regular oral exams
One very important way to maintain oral health is to see a doctor every six months. If you experience an imperfect wisdom tooth growth, increase the frequency so that your oral health can always be maintained.
Make sure the doctor knows all the problems with your wisdom teeth
Part 2 of 2: Relieve Wisdom Tooth Pain
Step 1. Take painkillers
Most likely, the gums will hurt if the wisdom teeth are not growing properly. To relieve it, you can take over-the-counter pain relievers, or ask your doctor for a prescription, to reduce the pain and swelling that occurs.
- Ibuprofen or acetaminophen can reduce or eliminate pain. In addition, ibuprofen can also relieve swelling of the gums.
- Your doctor may prescribe pain relievers if over-the-counter medications aren't working for you.
Step 2. Compress the area that feels sore and swollen
Chances are, the gum area around the wisdom tooth will be painful and swollen if the growth is not perfect. To fix this, you can compress the cheek outside the swollen gums with ice to relieve the pain that appears.
- Wrap ice cubes with a towel so that the skin tissue is not damaged due to changes in temperature that are too drastic.
- Compress the cheeks for a maximum of 10 minutes, and repeat the process up to 5 times per day.
Step 3. Consult a dentist or oral surgeon
If the pain in the tooth is very intense, or if you experience other problems related to the growth of the wisdom teeth (such as infection), consult your dentist or oral surgeon immediately. Doctors can recommend treatment methods that may involve surgical procedures. In addition, the doctor can also diagnose the infection more precisely.
Your dentist may refer you to an oral surgeon for a follow-up consultation
Step 4. Get a prescription for antibiotics from your doctor
In some cases, the accumulation of bacteria in between the cavities of teeth that do not grow properly can trigger an infection. This medical disorder is known as pericoronitis. If the infection is very serious, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to take or even ask you to have surgery.
The most commonly prescribed antibiotic to treat pericoronitis is penicillin
Step 5. Perform an operative procedure to remove wisdom teeth
In some cases, surgery is the best way to maintain oral hygiene and reduce pain from wisdom teeth growth. In other words, some people may have to undergo surgery to treat problems with wisdom teeth that have not yet fully grown. Therefore, try discussing these options with your dentist or oral surgeon.
- Generally, surgical procedures are based on various causes, such as the presence of infection or serious gum disease around the wisdom teeth, the occurrence of decay of wisdom teeth that have not fully grown, or the need to expand the space for the wisdom teeth to grow properly. Occasionally, surgery may also be required if the growth of wisdom teeth proves to be interfering with adjacent teeth.
- Wisdom tooth extraction is an outpatient procedure. In other words, you can go home immediately after the operation.
- In addition, wisdom tooth extraction surgery is considered safe and does not carry the risk of complications other than pain and swelling.
Warning
- Don't clean leftovers with a toothpick! Doing so can injure the soft tissue around the wisdom tooth and make it infected.
- If the gums around the wisdom teeth swell or are very painful, go to the dentist immediately!
