If the gums around a wisdom tooth keep swelling and hurting, do you really need extraction at a Seoul National University Station dentist?

Hello,

I’m Director Park Jeong-gi from Remember Dental Clinic near Seoul National University Station.

Have you ever looked at the back molar area and noticed that it felt swollen and painful, and then saw something white behind the tooth?

This may be an oral condition such as stomatitis, but in many cases it is a partially erupted tooth.

In simple terms, it means that the crown of a wisdom tooth that has come through the gums is partially visible.

Because it is the very back of the mouth, it can be hidden by the tongue or the molars in front, and shadows can make it hard to see. However, at a medical facility equipped with specialized equipment, such as a Seoul National University Station dental clinic, if you take a panoramic X-ray, you can clearly confirm its shape.

Compared with the size of the lower jaw, the tooth is too large, so there is not enough space for it to grow, and it may become tilted,

or the tooth germ may have formed at an angle, so the direction of eruption itself may be slanted like this.

When that happens, the tooth cannot grow straight and ends up lying down, with only part of it visible in the mouth during eruption. Does it have to be removed if it grows like this?

There are individual differences depending on oral condition, and there is no single correct answer.

However, at the Seoul National University Station dental clinic, we explain that it is best to have it extracted while you are still young if possible.

Because it is located deep at the very back of the mouth, it is not easy to brush and the toothbrush cannot reach it well.

Also, for this reason, if hygiene is not properly managed, bacteria and plaque can easily build up around it.

Then cavities can develop, and decay can happen very quickly.

If that happens, it can cause severe pain and inflammation, and may also negatively affect the adjacent teeth, so we may say that extraction is the better option.

2025.10.02

The case shown today at the Seoul National University Station dental clinic has both the upper and lower wisdom teeth on the right side present,

but the lower third molar is tilted forward, so it cannot perform chewing function and instead is causing food to get trapped in the gap.

In situations like this, it is best to remove it as soon as possible.

If there is no opposing lower tooth, the upper tooth it bites against does not play any role in eating either, so it is better to extract both together. Can it be removed right away?

2025.10.02

In the case of wisdom tooth extraction, we can only tell you after taking a panoramic X-ray.

If it overlaps with the inferior alveolar nerve canal or is too close to it, it may be difficult.

Also, if the gums are severely swollen due to partial eruption, we may first prescribe medication, let the gums calm down a little, and then extract it later, which may be better.

Although extraction for prevention is recommended, most important of all is 'patient safety.' Is there a way to remove it without pain?

Many people want treatment without pain, but since tooth extraction involves bleeding, there is inevitably some degree of pain.

However, at the Seoul National University Station dental clinic, if I explain several factors that are proportional to the level of pain,

• the time required for extraction
• when using a bur, the extent to which surrounding tissue or bone is touched
• when using a blade, the amount of incision made
• the size of the inflammation

The fewer these factors are, the less swelling and discomfort the patient will experience.

That is why it is important to receive treatment from a doctor with abundant skill and experience, and it is even better if the practitioner has their own techniques.

2025.10.02

In this case, there was plenty of distance from the inferior alveolar nerve, and the upper tooth was growing well in a vertical direction, so both were removed on the same day.

The bleeding was not significant either, so we were able to finish without sutures, that is, without stitching.

Then you do not have to come back again to have the stitches removed, which is also nice. ^^ Was today’s explanation helpful?

Of course, some people do not have any wisdom teeth at all, but since most people have at least one, if it is going to be removed anyway,

I hope you have it safely extracted before it starts hurting, and I will end here.

Thank you for reading. This was Park Jeong-gi from the Seoul National University Station dental clinic.

Treatment period: 2025.10.02