My problematic wisdom teeth

[NotSuchWisdom]

Ok so this is disgusting. MN please move to sporner corner if appropriate. I am having problems with my wisdom teeth. Three of them are impacted. Maybe not an issue you would think as they don't quite break through the gum but when I run my tongue over them it tastes nasty. And sometimes they chew a little on the inside of my cheek.

The other one has come through, only a couple of years ago (I am 50). It's ... problematic. It just feels weird. And it doesn't fit into my gum or mouth properly. My dentist tells me it's ok because it's not infected and gave me a shield because she thought the sensations I had from it were caused by grinding my lower teeth against nothing. But actually I really struggle to keep it clean because it doesn't fit in my gum properly and [boak] things get stuck in it.

Eg I've just woke up now and even though I brushed and flossed before bed and wore the fucking mouthguard while sleeping I got woken up by an uncomfortable sensation in this tooth and on going to the bathroom mirror I found ... a piece of cabbage from my dinner! An actual piece of fucking cabbage! That's how big the gap between my wisdom tooth and gum is.

Ok so I'm upset rn but this isn't ok is it? I shouldn't be having actual pieces of food in my teeth and having my mouth cut by teeth that aren't quite there? What's it like for the rest of you? Is all of this really normal like my dentist says?

Impacted is reasonably common, doesn't mean you shouldn't have them removed.

Mine all done when I was 22. Not a pleasant experience but done under a general anaesthetic. Lots of swelling afterwards but worth it.

Mine are all gone. It wasn't a problem.

Yes as I understand it mostly they're impacted because they're freak teeth that don't grow normally. But I've been reading up via doctor google and apparently most dentists in most countries remove them in order to avoid later problems. We don't in the UK because like every blessed thing in this health system nothing gets done until you're facing something life threatening.

However while my teeth are not life threatening they are unpleasant and uncomfortable.

Is this just normal?

@Whataday21 you had them took out? On the NHS?

I would try another dentist and get a second opinion.

Thanks. My previous dentist said the same: that they didn't warrant extraction. But they cut into my cheek and collect fucking cabbage. It's not good, really.

And now I'm awake at the arse end of the middle of the night with them ffs.

All 4 of mine got done under general NHS it was years ago though.

Friends had them pulled at dentist.

We were all in 20s iirc.

You will have a flap of gum over the top of the partially erupted teeth which is acting like a trap for bits of food and bacteria. I don’t know why your dentist is saying leave them, when I worked in Maxillo Facial surgery they’d have had them out.

I’d start doing some salt water mouthwashes before you clean your teeth. If you do it after you wash all the fluoride away. You need a teaspoon of salt to a glass of boiled water. You obviously let it cool.

Weird taste in mouth?

I had that turned out it was pus from wisdoms. Yuck.

Try different dentist. My last one said a thing I had was imaginary. Till I said give me the pointy thing and said right here. She went. Oh yeah.

This was after about 4 visits of her saying I was imagining things...!

I'm no longer in the UK.

I've just had an upper wisdom tooth out, it had become rotten because it was so hard to clean as it was at an odd angle with no space.
The dentist said upper wisdom teeth are reasonably easy to remove.
Lower wisdom teeth are much harder after the age of 25.

I have two lower impacted teeth that she said to leave alone because they are ok and lower teeth should be left alone if possible after 25.

I'm in my mid 40's.

I would get a second opinion if possible.

Thanks all. This one that's come through it just never feels quite "right". Like a bit achey scratchy, I can't quite describe it. And the others don't feel great either, they cut my cheek 😟 interesting that others have got sorted on the NHS. How do I change NHS dentists? There was a massive waiting list for this one. And I am poor.

I had all of mine (impacted) removed when I was 22 under a GA as well.

For removal under the NHS they'd need to meet NICE guidelines so unfixable decay or causing decay in the tooth next to them or recurrent infection. they've relaxed the criteria a bit but I don't think you'll get them removed under the NHS based on what you're describing.
Things that might help meet the criteria are repeated swelling of the gum over them especially if it needed antibiotics and that the food trapping that would increase the risk of decay. If it is really difficult to get the trapped food out mention this.

@NotSuchWisdom do they caus you pain

I had all four of mine removed when I was 19 under GA in hospital. The lower ones were quite badly impacted and starting to get infected / cause headaches and I guess the dentists / doctors thought it made sense to do everything at once.

I do / did have a freakishly unusual number of adult teeth, though, prior to extractions for impaction / orthodontic work. The average adult has 32 teeth: I had 40 at one point...

My lower ones are partially erupted (I dont have any upper wisdom teeth) and they do cause issues - my right lower tooth is the worst has currently ripped the flesh on my gum.

Ten years ago one of them cased a bout of acute nectrotising gingivitis - it was horrific. However my dentist said I would need a further two bouts of infection to meet the criteria for removal.

I use Corsdyl mouthwash a lot and clean them thoroughly. My hygienist gives them a good going over every six months and fingers crossed apart from the odd ripped gum, they have not given me any further trouble.

@Ginmonkeyagain how did you fix the ripped gum

Rinse it with Corsydl/salt water regularly and leave it to heal.