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Wisdom teeth are the final set of teeth you grow in your late teens or early twenties. It is also called the third molars and is located at the far end of the mouth/teeth set. It got the name ‘wisdom’ because it is believed that it breaks out through the gum when a person has acquired more ‘wisdom.’ Its sole purpose is to help chew rough or coarse food.

A common experience with wisdom tooth is that they tend to swell, which can be due to several reasons. It can be very painful and uncomfortable. If you suffer from wisdom teeth swelling or you have experienced it in the past, then this article is for you. We have listed the major reasons for wisdom teeth swelling and how to reduce or treat the swelling.

Why Are Your Wisdom Teeth Swelling

Usually, when any tooth is breaking through the dental gum, there might be some swelling, pain, and discomfort. This also happens when any tooth (milk teeth) is about to fall out. But even though swelling of the gum is a typical experience associated with having teeth, experiencing continual swelling could be a problem. Unfortunately, this is very common with wisdom teeth.

There are several reasons for wisdom teeth swelling. The common causes include the following:

Why are wisdom teeth swelling

Why Is It Important To Take Care Of Wisdom Teeth Swelling?

Going to the dentist might seem like an impossible quest for some people (or going to any doctor at all), which is why many wisdom teeth swelling cases get very serious. In some scenarios, discomfort in the swollen area might not present an immediate or apparent problem. But it doesn’t mean it won’t lead to some severe and even permanent complications in the future if it is not immediately attended to.

Besides the swollen (and sometimes bleeding) gum, jaw pain, bad breath, unpleasant taste in the mouth, or difficulty opening the mouth at all, other complications could arise if the wisdom teeth swelling is not attended to on time. These include:

How to Reduce Wisdom Teeth Swelling

The treatment for wisdom swelling is mainly dependent on the cause of the swelling. For example, rinsing your mouth thoroughly with warm water (with or without salt -saline) or an antiseptic oral rinse could do the trick when food is stuck.

But for other more complicated cases, here is how to reduce swelling after wisdom teeth removal.

How To Reduce Swelling After Removing Wisdom Teeth?

Swelling after wisdom teeth removal is very normal and should be expected. In some cases, the face too can be swollen for a few days. Here are a few ways to reduce the swelling:

How Long Does Wisdom Teeth Swelling Last?

The pain from wisdom teeth removal swelling can be very uncomfortable, and many people would prefer to have it gone in a day or not to have it at all. After removal, full recovery can take up to 2 weeks. Wisdom teeth swelling timeline is about 2-5 days, depending on the amount of care given to the swelling. The stiffness and overall soreness should be gone in about 7-12 days.

Things like how often to brush, the drugs you use, how you sleep (on the face or not), or what to eat after wisdom teeth removal are also essential in delaying or speeding up the recovery time. If the swelling or pain does not reduce after 3-5 days or does not show any sign of recovery (or you develop unusual symptoms after), it might be a sign of an infection. A visit to the dentist is highly recommended.

How Long Does Wisdom Teeth Swelling Last

Swelling or pain in the mouth resulting from wisdom teeth can become a re-occurring event when wisdom teeth don’t grow as normally as they should, making it difficult to clean or take care of the teeth. This is why we have included tips on how to care for swollen wisdom teeth. Following these tips can help reduce swelling and restore your teeth. You should also consider developing scheduled visits to your dentist to avoid further complications.

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