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The third molars, which appear the last, usually emerge between the ages of 16 and 24. They are known as Wisdom Teeth, because the late age at which they emerge, an age far wiser than childhood when the other teeth emerge. Being the last of the permanent teeth, wisdom teeth often do not emerge fully and get impacted in the gum due to overcrowding of the jaw because the first teeth were big or simply because the jaw is rather small. Sometimes the tooth could also get impacted because of a benign jaw tumor that has obstructed the growth of the wisdom tooth.
There are various types of impaction, but the wisdom tooth impaction is different from the other teeth. Pericoronitis impaction refers to the condition in which the tooth has not fully emerged leading to an infection of the surrounding gums. The main symptoms of an impacted wisdom tooth include pain and tenderness of the gums and jaw, swelling of the tissues around the affected area and difficulty in opening the mouth.
The consequent infection leads to bad breath and a difficulty in eating, often giving rise to an unpleasant taste which lingers in the mouth. Sometimes impacted wisdom teeth can also lead to swollen lymph nodes in the neck or even tumors of the jaw and in the neck.
Though an impacted wisdom tooth eventually requires removal by dental surgery, there are some simple home remedies that can be used to alleviate the symptoms. It is of course crucial to maintain strict dental hygiene and so you must brush your teeth twice a day, using a soft brush that does not hurt the swollen gums. You should take adequate care to brush between the teeth and also to floss regularly so that no food particles are left between the teeth. Apart from brushing and flossing teeth, it is also important to wash your mouth properly after every meal so that the residual food particles get washed out and do not get lodged between the teeth. Regular use of a mouthwash aids in controlling bad breath and infections. To soothe the pain and reduce the infection, you can gargle with 1 glass of warm water with ½ tsp salt several times a day. You can also place a small piece of camphor in some cotton wool and place that between your gums and inner lining of the cheek. The juice of the camphor releases slowly as the cotton gets wet with saliva and this soothes the swelling and tenderness. Another excellent remedy for the pain and swelling is placing a small piece of cotton wool soaked in clove oil near the affected tooth. You can also place a stick of clove near the affected tooth.
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