Baton Rouge Dentist

Should I see an emergency dentist for my wisdom teeth?

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I have never had my wisdom teeth out and am in my early twenties, but my dentist never said I needed to. They have hurt before, but I think that’s because they are still coming in. Unfortunately they have been hurting me all weekend, to the point where it is hard to eat. If I look back there, I can see that it’s kind of swollen. I don’t know if I should just keeping taking ibuprofen and wait it out, or if I should go see an emergency dentist?

Mason, WV

Dear Mason,

Everyone is different when it comes to wisdom teeth. Some people can keep their wisdom teeth their whole life without any problems, and some people’s wisdom teeth cause trouble even before they break the surface. This is mostly due to space. If there isn’t sufficient room for the wisdom teeth, they can push other teeth, causing shifting, crowding and other problems. This can lead to pain.

Wisdom teeth troubles

If wisdom teeth do break the surface, other problems can arise. When they are still covered with gums, it can be difficult to keep them clean. Food and bacteria can collect in that area, leading to infection or tooth decay. This also can lead to pain.

Should you see an emergency dentist?

Trying to determine if the pain is worthy of a trip to the emergency dentist can be difficult. You mentioned that you have felt pain from your wisdom teeth before. Hopefully you have discussed this pain with your regular dentist. Either way, if the pain is bad enough that you can’t eat now, something is wrong. You may have an infection. You either need to see your regular dentist very soon or get into an emergency dentist. If you continue to have struggles with your wisdom teeth, it may be time to get them taken out.

This post is sponsored by Dr. Ryan Perry in Baton Rouge, LA.

 

Concerned about Swelling after Wisdom Teeth Removal

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A couple of days ago, my son had four wisdom teeth removed. Since then, I’ve noticed extreme swelling in his face, especially around his left side near his eye. I’m worried he could end up having nerve damage to his jaw and his eyesight could be affected. Is it possible he might need additional surgery? Or, will time, penicillin, anti-inflammatory medication and washing with salt water help decrease the swelling? What should I do?
– Anne in Louisiana

Anne,
You mentioned your son’s surgery was two days ago and when a person has this type of surgery, this is the worst day for the swelling and then it dissipates after this. It does not appear your son has nerve damage from the information you provided.

The swelling occurs from the surgery and always happens when impacted wisdom teeth are removed. If it was a challenge to remove the upper left wisdom tooth and bone had to be removed, this will cause swelling as it’s near the eye area.
Since I’m not able to examine him, I am determining my diagnosis by what you are telling me. This means that swelling may occur under normal circumstances from this type of surgery.

I recommend you follow the instructions given by the dentist who removed the wisdom teeth. There should be steady improvement over the next few days. If at any time, your son’s situation gets worse – the pain and swelling increases instead of decreasing, you should inform your dentist and seek additional help right away.

If you are still concerned, be sure to mention your son’s situation to the dentist who did the surgery. Dentists always try to brace patients for the best and worst case scenarios and focus on a realistic outcome which may be a bit negative to hear. If the post-surgery situation was not at all what you were told, you may need to inform your dentist so they can be more realistic with future patients.

This blog brought to you by Dr. Ryan P. Perry, Baton Rouge Family Dentist.