Wisdom teeth
Wisdom tooth pain in Greenwich, CT: not every tooth has to come out
Wisdom teeth are removed more often than they truly need to be. The real question is whether yours can be cleaned and kept, or whether it will keep flaring up for years to come, and we help you answer that honestly.
How urgent is it?
Within a few days
Sooner if there is swelling, a bad taste, or you cannot open your mouth fully, since those point to active infection.
Opening hours
Mon–Tue 8a–7p · Wed–Thu 8a–5p · Fri 9a–2p
What this usually means
The causes we see most often
01
A tooth only part way through
The gum flap over a half-erupted wisdom tooth is nearly impossible to clean underneath, so it becomes inflamed again and again.
02
Decay you cannot reach
A wisdom tooth angled into its neighbor traps food between the two, and both teeth decay at the point of contact.
03
Pressure against the tooth in front
A tooth pushing sideways can cause pain, and it can damage the healthy molar it is leaning against.
What to do right now
Before you get here
- 01
Rinse with warm salt water after meals to flush out the pocket behind the tooth.
- 02
Keep brushing the area gently even though it is tender, since the inflammation is fed by whatever collects there.
- 03
Take your usual anti-inflammatory and eat soft food on the other side of your mouth.
- 04
Please do not rely on repeated courses of antibiotics from a walk-in clinic. Each one only delays the decision.
What we would do
At the appointment
We look at the angle of the tooth, the space behind your second molar, and how close the roots sit to the nerve. That assessment is the whole basis of our recommendation.
If the tooth can be kept, we treat the infection and show you how to clean behind it properly. Many people keep their wisdom teeth for life once the pocket is under control.
If it should come out, we explain what removal involves, what recovery looks like, and whether it is straightforward for us to do here or better handled by an oral surgeon. Straightforward cases we treat in our office.
Q & A
What patients ask us about this
No. A wisdom tooth that is fully erupted, cleanable, and not damaging its neighbor can stay right where it is. We do not remove healthy teeth to prevent a problem that may never arrive.
For a fully erupted tooth, often a couple of tender days. For one still under bone, expect some swelling and soft food for the better part of a week. We tell you which category yours falls into beforehand.
We handle straightforward removals in our office. When roots sit close to the nerve or the tooth is deep in bone, referring you to an oral surgeon is the safer choice, and we will say so plainly.
Where we are
211 East Putnam Avenue, Suite 2-6, Cos Cob
Minutes from central Greenwich on East Putnam Avenue, with parking at the building.
Patients travel to us from
Describe it in your own words when you call. We will tell you whether it needs us today.