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Problems with erupting wisdom teeth: signs, symptoms, and management

2016; Royal College of General Practitioners; Volume: 66; Issue: 649 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3399/bjgp16x686509

1478-5242

Tara Renton, Nairn Wilson,

dental development and anomalies

Many patients, in particular those with a fear of dentistry, or fear of the possible cost of dental treatment, consult their GP when they develop a dental problem, in particular dental pain.1 A very common cause of dental pain is erupting wisdom teeth. This article presents and describes the management of painful and infected erupting wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth or third molars (M3s) are the last, most posteriorly placed permanent teeth to erupt. They usually erupt into the mouth between 17 and 25 years of age. They can, however, erupt many years later. Most adults have four M3s; however, 8% of the UK population have missing or no M3s.2 Mandibular M3s often get impacted in a partially erupted, non-functional position (Figure 1). Eighty per cent of M3s require extraction before 70 years of age. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance has discouraged interceptive extraction resulting in later morbidity in many patients.3 Figure 1. Radiograph showing a full set of 32 permanent teeth. In three quadrants, the third permanent molars (M3s) have erupted into a normal position. The lower right M3 (circled) became impacted into the adjacent second permanent molar tooth, which, as a consequence, has …