Could this be a wisdom tooth erupting - at age 40?!?!?

[TaraPA]

Ugh, so I've been having very minor soreness either at my last molar, or right behind it, for about 3-4 days now. Just now I looked in my mouth with a flashlight - yikes! There is a wound-like hole right behind my last molar that is red & looks like it has been bleeding (if it has, I have not noticed it at all). I will call the dentist 1st thing in the morning, but I'm guessing this is a wisdom tooth erupting. I do know I have my wisdom teeth from prior dental x-rays, but none have ever come out. I assumed as an adult they were staying put in my gums!

I did pull up some pictures online of "erupting wisdom teeth" and it looks exactly the pictures.

I don't think this is an infection or abcess, either of those would be very painful, and have come on much more quickly, no? My son had an abcess 2 years ago & it came on quickly & he was in severe pain. This wasn't even bothering me today until just now when I started running around the house showing everyone and poking around at it. Now it's getting really sore!

Anyone have a wisdom tooth erupt as an adult -and if so - any chance it can just come in & stay there? Or do they always have to be extracted? Of course I have 2 Disney trips coming up in the next few weeks - I leave for the 1st one in less than 3 weeks, then am home for a week, then go back again. I'd really rather not have to plan oral surgery before I go!

Any ideas what this could be if not a wisdom tooth?

 

[Micca]

Tara that sounds bad. Hope the dentist can do something to get you fixed up and feeling better fast. Surely nothing is as bad as it looks on the internet.

There's a "40 years old/long-in-the-tooth" joke lurking here but I'll spare you that. Please let us know how it comes out. (See what I did there?)

 

[mjkacmom]

I got a tooth with each pregnancy, last one at 35. I had them removed, only because my teeth (thanks to braces as a child) are still perfectly straight, and I didn't want to chance having them shift.

 

[AnnaS]

Believe it or not, I work with an 84 yr. old woman and she just got an infection/abscess. She is being treated for the infection and then they will take out her wisdom tooth.

This lady has more energy than me.
Hope you have a dentist appt. coming up

 

[eeyorethegreat]

I had all my wisdom teeth co me in when I was in my late teen and early 20's I remember I wes "teething" in college. I never thought a thing of it until I went to the dentist well after college (it had been a while in the early years we couldn't afford regualr dental visits) and whn I opened my mouth the hygenist was shocked. She called in the dentist who called in the other hygenists/assistants to look in my mouth. Seems they don't often get many people with a full set of intact teeth including wisdoms. I am thinking if you are getting wisdom teeth at 40 you are going to get the same reaction!!

 

[Minnie_me]

I got my 12-year molars in my 20s. I'm 47 and my wisdom teeth haven't come in yet.

 

[leebee]

My upper wisdom teeth came in when I was in my mid-20's because I had a molar removed on either side (at different times... bad teeth, no dental insurance or $$$ so out came the molar); these two extractions left space for the wisdom teeth to finally erupt. My lower wisdom teeth didn't come in until I was in my mid-40's. It made one of my lower teeth (4th back on the left) twist slightly, but other than that, everything is fine. The dentist said they'd have to come out as there's nothing on the upper jaw to align with, but they actually align quite nicely with my upper wisdom teeth, and I still have all 4. I just make sure to brush carefully as they are waaaayyyy back there in my mouth!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Yep, my dh had his out at 40 mainly because he was having jaw bone loss because of it. In addition he got a bone infection after the removal.

Get yourself to an oral surgeon to check it out.

My dh is sitting here with stitches right now. Surprise he had surgery yesterday! He had a blocked salivary gland removed. No going out for us tonight.

 

[FoundMyPrince]

DH is 38 and had a wisdom tooth taken out two weeks ago. It came in about six months ago and recently began giving him a bit of pain. Now it's out - no more worries!

 

[snarlingcoyote]

I have all 4 of mine and I'm in my 40's. One is cracked and under normal circumstances would have to come out, but in my case (other medical factors involved) the dentist is just watching it in hopes it will just stay cracked and not do anything else.

 

[Piglet4Ever]

I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed at age 37. Three were impacted. They weren't causing me any problems at the time but I am super glad I got them removed. It took me about a week to feel back to normal after their removal. good luck!

 

[BrerMom]

You are just a late bloomer!

 

[Muffin]

I had 5 wisdom teeth removed when I was 18. The 5th one was a tiny little thing that my dentist called a supernumerary(sp?).

Then when I was in my early 40's, my dentist saw another supernumary in an xray. I just had it pulled last year when I was 49 because it was starting to cause bone loss in the molar it was next too.

Who has 6 wisdom teeth????????

 

[TaraPA]

You are just a late bloomer!

Yep, that must be it!!

I woke up today & totally forgot I had even written this post last night! Not an ounce of soreness. The hole/sore/spot is still there but now looks pink & healthy - so no idea what is going on. It almost looks like there had been a tooth there that came out & it's healing. (I counted - I still have all my teeth!)

Hopefully it stays this way - a non-issue - until after vacation. My regular check up is soon after that, I will have them check it out then.

 

[Tammie3]

Yes, I just got one my upper right wisdom tooth at the age of 40. It started erupting just before my 40th birthday. I'm now 41 and the tooth is about halfway out of the gum. There's no sign of the upper left yet. When I was 17 I had my two lower wisdom teeth removed before they erupted.
Strange things going on!

 

[TaraPA]

Wow I forgot I posted this 6 years ago! Yes it WAS an erupting wisdom tooth at age 40! The other 3 were impacted so I had them all removed. Everyone said it was routine surgery & I'd be back to work the next day - must be easier tolerated as a teen because I couldn't even get out of bed the next day the pain was terrible! Then I got dry socket on day 3, then again on day 6. BUT no issues since then!

 

[MamaLema]

I had 5 wisdom teeth removed when I was 18. The 5th one was a tiny little thing that my dentist called a supernumerary(sp?).

Then when I was in my early 40's, my dentist saw another supernumary in an xray. I just had it pulled last year when I was 49 because it was starting to cause bone loss in the molar it was next too.

Who has 6 wisdom teeth????????

My son

Unfortunately he also gets other rare things both minor and major

 

[PollyannaMom]

OMG, I didn't notice this was old!

I was going to post that I still have mine, so to try not to worry too much, but I see you did eventually get them out. - Did you manage to hold off on it until after your Disney trips?