Yes, the most common issue when wisdom teeth emerge is headaches. If you are an adult or teenager experiencing mysterious headaches, the reason could be your wisdom teeth. Third molars (M3s) or wisdom teeth are the very last permanent teeth to pop up. They usually erupt into the mouth between 17 and 25 years of age. Can wisdom teeth cause headaches?
When wisdom teeth emerge, there is commonly not enough space in the mouth for these late blossoming teeth, and so typically require removal to prevent displacing well-positioned adult teeth, as well as preventing headaches pain, or infection in the jaw.
When wisdom teeth start to come in, they often don’t have enough room in the mouth because they’re late bloomers. As a result, it’s usually necessary to remove them to avoid pushing well-aligned adult teeth out of place and to prevent headaches, pain, or jaw infections. Over many years, lots of dentists have said it’s a good idea to remove wisdom teeth when you’re young because it’s simpler than when you’re older and your bones are tougher. Plus, younger people can handle the procedure better.
Many things can lead to issues with making space for your wisdom teeth as they grow in and fit with your other already-set teeth. What you eat is likely the biggest factor, causing infection in wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth can exert pressure on nerves and muscles which can be uncomfortable and can cause migraine headaches. Keep reading to explore which types of pain wisdom teeth can cause and how to deal with the pain using natural remedies or naturopath medicine.
This recent study found that not having the third molar is mostly influenced by our genes working together. Perhaps you possess an extra set of molars, commonly referred to as third molars or wisdom teeth, or perhaps you don’t.
Many things can lead to issues with the last molars and how your teeth fit together. What you eat is likely the biggest factor, but we need to look more closely at other things like changes in our genes to understand why wisdom teeth are causing problems more often now. Wisdom teeth can exert pressure on nerves and muscles and can be uncomfortable, which causes migraine headaches to get worse. Keep reading to explore which types of pain can cause wisdom teeth and how to deal with the pain using home remedies or naturopath medicine.
What are wisdom teeth?
Wisdom teeth are the last adult teeth that come in, and they’re the big molars at the back of your mouth. Sometimes, they don’t have enough space to come in properly. Most people have four of these teeth two on the bottom and two on the top. While they might not always cause issues, they can hurt if they can’t come in correctly. They could also hurt other nearby teeth and cause problems in your mouth. If you feel pain at the back of your mouth or in your jaw, and you haven’t had your wisdom teeth grow in yet, or you might be around that developmental cycle, it’s a good idea to visit your dentist.
Headache
A headache is the pain experienced by an individual in the head or face area. They are categorized on the basis of where they hurt, how often they happen, and how much they hurt. There are different kinds of headaches, they include migraine, tension, and cluster headaches. Some headaches come by themselves (primary), while others are caused by another problem (secondary). Having wisdom teeth grow in, without enough space for them, is a secondary cause of headaches.
What is pain?
Pain is like a message from the body’s ‘Alert System. When something hurts, messages go through tiny nerve threads to the brain, which understands them as pain. The message can mean different things.
It might warn that something is working too much and could get hurt if it doesn’t stop. Or, it could mean that something is already hurt because of an injury or sickness. Sometimes, the message could even be about the ‘Alert System’ itself having a problem. TMD stands for temporomandibular joint disorder, which is any issue with the TMJ. People often use the terms TMJ and TMD interchangeably.
Can wisdom teeth cause headaches?
When wisdom teeth come up from under your gums, they press on your jawbone, gums, and the other teeth and parts of your face around them. They are pretty big, making you feel discomfort and pain when they come in, which is common and not something to worry too much about. If you are feeling pain, visiting a dentist who can check your wisdom teeth to see if they are growing well is best.
Natural remedies to reduce pain
If everything looks good, you can just let your wisdom teeth be, and the discomfort should go away once they are fully grown in. Natural remedies can help to reduce pain caused by wisdom teeth growing in. Aloe vera can naturally make swelling and pain go down. Peppermint oil has a cooling effect that can calm sore gums and lessen pain. Clove oil has natural pain-relieving and anti-swelling properties to help reduce pain and swelling.
If your bad headaches stick around and don’t go away, you should watch out for other signs that your wisdom teeth are causing problems. It would be best if you got them removed to keep your mouth healthy. Here are some signs or symptoms you may need to get your wisdom teeth removed:
- Strong and long-lasting pain at the back of your mouth might mean your wisdom teeth are stuck or infected.
- Wisdom teeth that are impacted or infected can make your jaw feel hurt. Sometimes, it can be hard to open your mouth entirely.
- If the gums around your wisdom teeth change color or get swollen, it’s a sign that bacteria are building up, making the gums puffy and turning dark or red instead of their usual pink color.
- Having a lot of bacteria in your mouth can lead to bad breath, which is familiar with impacted wisdom teeth because they’re tough to clean and remove plaque when you brush, given they are difficult to reach in the mouth.
Wisdom teeth growing in or having already grown in but with little space or those which are impacted, might be causing your headaches. Other things like TMJ/TMD (a problem with your jaw joint), grinding your teeth, or having a bad bite can also make headaches worse. If you’re worried about the health of your mouth or teeth, or you’re having puzzling headaches, book a consult with your dentist.
Can wisdom teeth cause migraines?
Pain in the face, neck, head, or mouth is called orofacial pain. Sometimes people mix this up with migraine headaches. When wisdom teeth start growing, they can push on the sinuses, causing more pressure. This pressure is mainly felt around the top part of the jaw, and it might even be a trigger for migraines to occur. Wisdom teeth can also make an ongoing migraine, worse.
Pain sensors in the head and mouth are connected. If one part hurts, it could make another part hurt more or make its symptoms worse. For some people, problems with their jaw joint can make migraines worse and or more frequent.
Researchers are studying genes to find out if there are any issues that could cause migraines. However, this way of thinking might not be completely right. Pain is like a signal that tells us something is wrong, and it can’t be passed down by itself without the other things happening in the body that cause the pain.
Also, doctors often forget to check a big part of the head, which is the jaw and the bones around it, before they decide what’s causing a problem. This goes against the main rule of checking patients carefully. One Study suggests that teeth that are impacted may be the genetic link or hereditary reason for having a migraine. Here are some common symptoms of a migraine:
- Really bad headache that stops you from doing normal things.
- Feeling like you might throw up or actually throw up.
- Not being able to handle bright lights, strong smells, and loud noises.
- Having a head that feels like it’s pounding or throbbing.
- Feeling the pain on one side or both sides of your head.
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Is cold therapy good for reducing pain?
After getting your wisdom teeth removed, dentists often suggest using cold therapy (cryotherapy). This simple method helps with swelling and inflammation caused by the surgery. It was done to see if using cold therapy is good or not. 107 patients needed to remove two wisdom teeth, one on the left and one on the right side of the lower jaw.
Cold therapy was done only on one side. They measured the pain and discomfort using a scale and looked at things like swelling, inflammation, and sleep problems. They also checked other things like swelling, what patients liked more, and how long the surgery took. They compared the results of the treated and non-treated sides of the jaw using a test.
In some studies, researchers have discovered that cryotherapy can help lessen pain and swelling and has few complications for patients who have had their wisdom teeth removed. The surgery time and inflammation were similar in both groups. In conclusion, using cold therapy is a good way to make the pain, swelling, and discomfort less after taking out a wisdom tooth from the lower jaw without causing lasting problems.
How naturopathic doctor can help with wisdom tooth pain?
The naturopathic doctors at Make Care Health, use natural remedies and a holistic approach to help with pain from wisdom teeth impaction. They recommend vitamin and herbal anti-inflammatories, pain relievers, antioxidants, and support for addressing bacterial build if necessary, to help you feel better and prevent any worse future outcomes, while you wait for your dental appointment.
One home remedy you can start doing today is gargling with salty water to reduce bacteria build-up and help reduce inflammation, in a hurting tooth, as it dehydrates the area surrounding the tooth, preventing bacteria from growing. Putting salt in warm water and using it to rinse your mouth can make your gums healthy and kill bad germs. Cloves contain eugenol, which helps reduce swelling and kill germs, which can prevent further pain.
