In the field of stomatology, the eruption of wisdom teeth is an unavoidable “hurdle” for many people during their growth process. It is like an unexpected guest that suddenly appears in the mouth. Some people get along peacefully with it, while others are tortured to great pain. So, what exactly does it feel like to grow wisdom teeth? Let’s have an in-depth understanding.
Early Stage of Emergence: Silent “Preparation”
Before the wisdom tooth truly emerges, it may have been quietly developing in the alveolar bone for a long time. At this stage, most people won’t notice anything abnormal. It’s like a seed quietly gathering strength in the soil, waiting for the moment to break through. However, there are also a few more sensitive people who may occasionally feel a slight soreness and distension in the area behind their teeth grinding. This feeling is very mild and hard to detect without careful observation. Moreover, it is often fleeting and easy to be overlooked. At this point, the wisdom tooth is like a “little transparent” hiding in the dark. Although it exists, it has not yet caused a significant impact on daily life.
Early Emergence: A Dull and Painful “Warning”
When wisdom teeth start to break through the gums, the initial symptoms of their eruption gradually emerge. The most common sensation is pain, which is different from the sharp pain caused by tooth decay. Instead, it is a dull or distending pain. It’s as if the gums are being slowly and continuously pushed open by something, with an uncomfortable feeling of being stretched. At the beginning, the pain may only occur occasionally. For instance, when chewing food or swallowing saliva, one may feel a slight pain in the posterior area of the molars. Especially when eating some harder foods, the pain will be more obvious. As wisdom teeth continue to emerge, the frequency and intensity of pain may gradually increase.
In addition to pain, some changes may also occur in the gums. The gums where wisdom teeth emerge will become red and swollen, and a distinct pain can be felt when gently pressed. This is because when wisdom teeth emerge, they can irritate the surrounding gum tissue, leading to gum inflammation. Sometimes, a thin layer of grayish-white pseudomemura can also be seen covering the gums. This pseudomemura is prone to accumulate dirt and further aggravate the inflammation. At this point, the discomfort in the mouth begins to affect normal life. Many people dare not chew normally due to the pain, and it may even affect the quality of sleep.
Mid-emergence Stage: The “Torment” of Intensified Pain
When entering the middle stage of eruption, the pain caused by wisdom teeth will further intensify. The pain became more frequent and intense. It was no longer an occasional dull pain but a continuous and restless one. Some patients describe this kind of pain as if a small hammer is constantly hitting the gums, or as if being burned by fire. The pain radiates from the back of the molars to the ears, temples and other areas, which is unbearable. Even without taking any action, the pain will persist, seriously affecting daily life and work.
Due to the intensification of pain, patients often dare not eat normally and can only choose to eat some soft and easy-to-chew foods. Sometimes, even drinking water feels painful. Long-term restricted food intake may lead to insufficient nutrient intake in the body, resulting in physical weakness, listlessness and other conditions. At the same time, the inflammation of the gums will further worsen, with redness and swelling becoming more obvious, and even suppuration may occur. When touching the gums with your hand, you can feel a fluctuating sensation. When squeezed, yellow pus will flow out, accompanied by a foul smell. This unpleasant smell not only affects an individual’s social image but also causes great distress to the patient.
In addition, during the eruption of wisdom teeth, they will rub against the surrounding teeth and gums, which can easily lead to the occurrence of oral ulcers. Oral ulcers can make the pain even worse. When speaking or eating, the ulcer surface is stimulated, and the pain becomes more intense. Patients often speak less and become taciturn because of the pain.
Late Emergence: A “tug-of-war” of symptom relief or Recurrence
If wisdom teeth can emerge smoothly and grow in a normal position without obvious conflict with the surrounding teeth and gums, then over time, the pain and inflammation will gradually ease. The redness and swelling of the gums have subsided, and the pain has lessened. The patient can finally breathe a sigh of relief and resume a normal diet and life. In this situation, wisdom teeth are like a “naughty” child. After a lot of trouble, they finally calm down and coexist harmoniously with the mouth.
However, in reality, many people’s wisdom teeth do not come out smoothly. As the jawbones of modern people gradually become smaller, while the size and number of teeth change relatively little, there is insufficient space for wisdom teeth to emerge, resulting in impacted teeth. Impacted wisdom teeth are like a “rebellious” child, not playing by the rules and causing all kinds of troubles to the oral cavity. Impacted wisdom teeth may partially erupt, with part of the crown exposed in the mouth and the other part covered by the gums, forming a blind pocket. This blind bag is a “breeding ground” for food residues and bacteria, and it is very easy for bacteria to breed, causing repeated inflammation.
Once the body’s resistance drops, for instance, due to colds, staying up late, overwork, etc., pericoronitis of wisdom teeth will recur, and symptoms such as pain, red and swollen gums, and suppuration will come back. This repeated inflammation not only causes great pain to the patient but may also lead to infections in adjacent tissues, such as infections in the maxillofacial space, resulting in facial swelling, limited mouth opening, and in severe cases, it may even affect breathing and swallowing, posing a threat to life.
Other accompanying symptoms
In addition to pain and inflammation, growing wisdom teeth may also bring about some other accompanying symptoms. Some patients may experience limited mouth opening. This is because pericoronitis of wisdom teeth causes the surrounding muscles to spasm, which pulls the muscles when opening the mouth, causing pain and thus limiting the range of mouth opening. At the beginning, it might just be a little difficult to open the mouth. As the inflammation worsens, the degree of opening the mouth will become smaller and smaller, and it may even be only one finger wide. Even normal eating and speaking will be seriously affected.
Some people may also experience pain when swallowing. This is because the inflammation around the wisdom teeth spreads to the pharynx. When swallowing, the movement of the pharyngeal muscles stimulates the inflamed area, causing pain. Swallowing pain can cause patients to feel distressed both when eating and drinking, leading to insufficient intake of water and nutrients and affecting their health.
In addition, growing wisdom teeth may also affect the occlusal relationship within the oral cavity. If wisdom teeth grow in an incorrect position, they will squeeze the adjacent teeth, causing them to shift and misalign, which will affect normal chewing function and facial appearance. Some patients may find that their teeth become increasingly crowded, and even develop buck teeth and other conditions, which is very likely related to the growth of wisdom teeth.
Conclusion
The feeling of wisdom teeth coming in varies from person to person. From the silent eruption in the early stage, to the painful torment during the eruption process, and then to the relief or recurrence of symptoms in the later stage, each stage may have varying degrees of impact on the patient. Understanding the various sensations and symptoms of growing wisdom teeth can help us identify problems in a timely manner and take the right countermeasures. If severe pain, inflammation or other symptoms occur during the process of growing wisdom teeth, it is essential to seek medical attention promptly and have a professional dentist diagnose and treat the condition to prevent it from worsening and affecting oral and overall health.
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