[Medical Q&A] How much do you know about the secrets of wisdom teeth?

Planner: Chinese Medical Association

Reviewer: Guo Shubin, Chief Physician, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University

Wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, are the teeth located farthest inside the human mouth. When wisdom teeth are incompletely erupted or their eruption is blocked, pericoronitis of wisdom teeth is more likely to occur, which is more common in young people.

1. Common causes

(1) Changes in jaw structure: As humans evolve, the mandible gradually shortens, resulting in a lack of sufficient growth space for wisdom teeth and their inability to erupt normally.

(2) Gum coverage: Wisdom teeth are often covered by the gums, forming blind pockets that are difficult to clean. Food debris accumulates, bacteria breed, and can easily cause inflammation.

(3) Decreased resistance: When resistance is reduced due to fatigue, lack of sleep, menstruation, childbirth, etc., pericoronitis of wisdom teeth is more likely to occur acutely.

2. Symptom recognition

The early symptoms of wisdom tooth inflammation may not be obvious, usually manifested as discomfort and mild pain in the molar area on the affected side. As the inflammation worsens, the patient will feel more pain when chewing and swallowing, accompanied by bad breath. In severe cases, fever, chills, headache, loss of appetite, and limited opening of the mouth may occur.

Emergency measures

(1) Seek medical attention promptly: If pain on the affected side occurs, especially if it worsens when chewing and is accompanied by limited mouth opening, you should go to the dental department for treatment.

(2) Oral hygiene: During the illness, you should insist on gargling with salt water or other oral cleansers to maintain oral hygiene.

(3) Dietary adjustment: The diet should be mainly semi-liquid or liquid, and avoid hard foods that aggravate symptoms.

(4) Be alert to complications: If swelling and pain on the affected side of the face accompanied by high fever occurs, it may be an infection of the surrounding soft tissue and you need to seek medical attention immediately.

Although wisdom tooth inflammation is common, by understanding its causes, symptoms and correct emergency measures, we can better prevent and treat this problem.