What does this mean?
Wisdom teeth come last and often find too little room. When a tooth has come through only partly, a flap of gum is left over it; food and plaque collect under that flap and the area becomes red, swollen and sore. This picture is called pericoronitis.
The pain can have other sources too: an impacted tooth can press on its neighbour, there can be decay in the wisdom tooth or the one next to it, and the jaw joint or chewing muscles can also give pain in the same area. The pain can spread to the side of the face, the ear or the throat.
The course of the symptom matters. Mild pain that eases within a few days is often just gum irritation. Pain that makes it hard to open the mouth, comes with a bad taste or discharge, or grows with swelling shows that infection is advancing and needs an examination.
Four causes are common behind pain around a wisdom tooth, and when the pain comes, how the gum looks and what comes with it separate them.
Likely causes
What helps at home?
- Rinse the area with lukewarm salt water several times a day
- Clean around the tooth with a small soft brush, without grazing the gum
- Avoid chewing hard food with the teeth on that side
- Do not poke the area with your tongue or an object
- Swelling in the cheek or under the jaw
- A fever, or feeling generally unwell
- Difficulty swallowing or opening the mouth that keeps growing
- Pus from the gum, or a bad taste
Frequently asked questions
- Why is my wisdom tooth hurting?
- The most common cause is inflammation of the gum flap over a partly erupted tooth. An impacted tooth pressing on its neighbour, decay or a jaw joint problem can cause pain in the same area. An examination and an X-ray show which.
- Does wisdom tooth pain go away by itself?
- A mild inflammation can settle in a few days, but while the flap over the tooth remains the problem tends to come back. If the pain is growing or there is swelling, a dentist should be seen without waiting.
- Does a wisdom tooth always have to come out?
- No. If there is room, it sits in the right position and it can be cleaned, it can stay without trouble. Removal comes into question with repeated inflammation, damage to the neighbouring tooth or decay; the decision is made with an examination and an X-ray.
This content is for general information and does not replace an in-person examination. Symptoms overlap between conditions, and a diagnosis can only be made clinically.