Look to see if there is enough space for another molar to erupt there. Wisdom teeth don’t always erupt if there isn’t enough space in your jaw. If your teeth are already crowded and/or crooked, then the chances are good that your wisdom teeth will not erupt completely.
If your tongue isn’t long enough to extend to the back of your gums, then use your index finger to feel around. Sanitize your finger before putting it in your mouth. Your tongue has a tendency to naturally gravitate to any sharp edges or tenderness in your mouth subconsciously, especially if they are new.
The pain from erupting wisdom teeth will be worse at night if you habitually clench your jaw and/or grind your molars while sleeping. Chewing gum or eating hard, crunchy food can also aggravate the erupting wisdom teeth and lead to worse symptoms.
You might also see some blood around the erupting wisdom tooth (or your saliva may be red colored). This is not common, but it happens. You might also see a “gum flap” over your erupting wisdom tooth — it’s called a pericoronal flap. While your gums are swollen, it might be difficult to open your mouth to eat food. This is especially common with the lower wisdom teeth, as the resulting inflammation affects the masseter muscle, which is involved in the opening of the mouth. As such, you may need to drink blended food and beverages for a few days (do not use a straw, as this can lead to dry sockets).
Wisdom teeth that erupt crookedly can create a “domino effect,” which eventually affects other teeth, making them twisted or uneven looking. If you think your front teeth are suddenly getting crooked, compare your current smile to older photographs of yourself. Once wisdom teeth are removed (extracted), crooked and twisted teeth can slowly realign themselves naturally after a few weeks or months.
It’s common to have a combination of fully erupted, partially erupted and impacted wisdom teeth within the same mouth. The longer your wisdom teeth stay in your mouth, the more developed the roots become, making them more difficult to remove if they cause symptoms.
Symptoms that distinguish erupting from impacted teeth is typically a matter of degree. The latter involves more pain and swelling that lasts longer and doesn’t usually get better until the tooth is pulled. The discomfort from an erupting wisdom tooth only lasts while the cusps first push through the gum line, whereas impacted teeth cause pain well afterwards or even without being seen. If your wisdom tooth is not erupting vertically in the normal position, you may feel a constant pain or discomfort spreading all over the jaw up to the middle line.
Pus is a grayish-white color and made from white blood cells. These specialized immune cells destroy surrounding bacteria, then they eventually die and form pus. Bad breath is a product of the bacterial waste products, pus and blood that seeps from an infected wisdom tooth.
Complications of an infected wisdom tooth include: an abscess of the tooth or gum, cysts and septicemia (bacterial infection of the blood). The American Dental Association recommends all teenagers between 16–19 years of age get their wisdom teeth evaluated by a licensed dentist.
