DENTAL DILEMMAS – Dr Karim Rachidi from Synergy Dental Clinics helps with advice on dental problems

Q. My wisdom teeth are starting to grow and it’s quite painful. Do I need to get them removed?

A. Getting wisdom teeth removed is one of the most common medical procedures that take place in the UK and feeling pain or discomfort as a result of your wisdom teeth that may be starting to surface, or have already surfaced, is also pretty normal, too.

Most people have four wisdom teeth and they usually start to surface from your jaw when you’re between the ages of 17 and 25. For the majority of people, they grow naturally with very little pain – although they may cause some discomfort.

Sometimes, they can emerge unnaturally by growing at an angle and get stuck by emerging partially. This is what we call ‘impacted wisdom teeth’ – usually caused when there isn’t enough room in your mouth for the wisdom teeth to grow.

If you’re feeling regular pain I’d recommend booking an appointment with your dentist. Your dentist will take an X-ray of your mouth to get a clearer view of how your teeth are positioned. Just because your wisdom teeth are impacted, it doesn’t necessarily mean they need to be removed. They may just be infected and you need antibiotics to remedy the symptoms.

Usually, we like to explore other options to get rid of the pain first, which could be a course of antibiotics or antiseptic mouthwash. If they do need to be removed, your dentist may carry out the procedure themselves or they’ll refer you to a specialist for hospital treatment. _

For more information about dental problems contact Synergy Dental

Clinic Blackburn, email blackburn@synergydental.org.uk or go to www.synergydental.org.uk/dentist-in-blackburn