Wisdom Tooth Pain: How Long It Lasts and When to See a Dentist

Wisdom tooth pain that comes and goes over weeks is usually a tooth trying to erupt through gum that is in its way. Pain that arrives with swelling, a bad taste or a jaw that will not open properly is an infection, and that needs treating rather than waiting out.

How Long Does Wisdom Tooth Pain Last?

It depends entirely on why it hurts, and the honest answer is that “wisdom tooth pain” describes three quite different situations.

A tooth erupting normally gives a few days to a week of soreness as it pushes through, then settles. This can happen repeatedly over months as the tooth moves in stages, which is why people describe pain that keeps coming back.

A tooth that cannot erupt because bone or a neighbouring tooth blocks it will keep flaring up for years. Nothing resolves, because the tooth never gets anywhere.

An infected gum flap over a partly erupted tooth is the one that hurts most. Untreated it worsens over days rather than improving.

The useful distinction is direction of travel. Pain that is easing day by day is eruption. Pain that is the same or worse after three or four days is one of the other two.

Why they cause so much trouble

Wisdom teeth arrive last, usually between 17 and 25, into a jaw that has already been filled by 28 other teeth. If there is not enough room they come in at an angle, get stuck against the tooth in front, or emerge only partway.

That partial eruption is the root of most problems. A tooth half covered by gum creates a pocket you cannot clean, and bacteria collect in it.

Which of These Is Happening to You?

Normal eruption

Dull ache at the back of the jaw, tender gum, mildly sore to bite on, no swelling of the face, no bad taste. Easing over a few days.

Manageable at home. Keep the area clean, rinse with warm salt water, and let it happen.

An infected gum flap

Throbbing pain, swollen gum over the tooth, foul taste or smell, sometimes pus, difficulty opening the jaw fully. This is pericoronitis, and it needs an appointment rather than patience. It also tends to recur once it has happened.

An impacted tooth

Pain that returns every few weeks or months, sometimes with pressure or a pushing sensation, and often nothing visible in the mouth. Diagnosed with an X-ray, because the problem is under the gum. Our page on impacted wisdom teeth covers what the different impaction patterns mean.

Decay in the wisdom tooth, or the tooth next to it

This is the one people do not expect. A wisdom tooth you cannot clean properly often decays, and it takes the tooth in front with it, because the trapped gap sits against that tooth’s back surface.

Losing a healthy second molar to a wisdom tooth that was never going to be useful is a genuinely avoidable outcome, and it is a common reason dentists recommend removal before symptoms get bad.

What Helps While You Wait

• Warm salt water rinses, several times a day, particularly after eating. This does more for gum inflammation at the back of the mouth than anything else on the list.
• Keep cleaning the area even though it hurts. People stop brushing where it is sore, which makes an infection more likely, not less. A small-headed or single-tuft brush reaches further back.
• Cold against the cheek, twenty minutes at a time, for swelling.
• Soft food and chew on the other side.
• Prop yourself up at night. Lying flat raises pressure in the jaw and makes throbbing worse.
• Over-the-counter pain relief as directed on the packet. Ask a pharmacist which is suitable for you.

What does not help: putting anything directly onto the gum, applying heat to a swollen face, or trying to lever the gum flap away yourself.

When It Stops Being Something to Manage

Go to A&E if swelling is closing your eye or spreading down your neck, if you cannot swallow properly, or if you have a fever with facial swelling. Infections at the back of the lower jaw sit near the airway and are treated as urgent for good reason.

Same-day appointment for facial swelling, a jaw you cannot open more than a couple of centimetres, pus, or pain that over-the-counter relief is not touching.

Within a week for a bad taste that keeps returning, repeated flare-ups, or pain when biting on that side.

Book routinely if it is a mild ache that eases within days but keeps coming back. That pattern usually means an X-ray is worth taking before the next flare-up becomes the bad one.

Do They Need Taking Out?

Not always, and a good dentist will not remove a wisdom tooth that is behaving itself. Current UK guidance is against removing them just because they are there.

Removal is usually recommended when:

• You have had repeated infections around the tooth
• The tooth or its neighbour has decay that cannot be restored properly
• There is a cyst forming around an unerupted tooth
• It is damaging the tooth in front
• Gum disease around it is not controllable
• You cannot open your jaw properly because of it

Leaving it alone is reasonable when:

• It has erupted fully and you can clean it
• It is completely buried, causing nothing, and shows no cyst on X-ray
• The only symptom was one episode of soreness while it came through

What Removal Costs

A straightforward wisdom tooth that has come through fully is a normal extraction, which starts from £195 at our clinic.

A surgical removal, where the tooth is impacted and the gum has to be lifted or the tooth divided, costs more because it takes longer and needs more skill. Market rates for private surgical wisdom tooth removal in the UK generally run between £200 and £600 per tooth depending on difficulty.

On the NHS it falls under Band 2, a single charge covering the course of treatment. Band charges change each April, so check the current figure on the NHS website. Two caveats worth knowing: NHS removal requires clinical need rather than preference, and complex cases are usually referred to a hospital oral surgery department, where waiting lists run to months.

What makes one harder than another

Position matters more than anything. An upper wisdom tooth is usually simpler than a lower one. A tooth lying sideways under the gum is more involved than one standing upright. Roots curving around the nerve in the lower jaw need care and sometimes a specialist.

You should be told which category yours is in, and quoted accordingly, before the appointment.

Recovery After Removal

For most people the worst is the first two to three days, then a clear improvement.

Day one is about protecting the clot in the socket. No rinsing, no smoking, nothing hot, no straws. Bite gently on gauze if it oozes.

Days two and three are usually the peak for swelling and stiffness. Salt water rinses can start now. Swelling often looks worse than it feels and peaks around 48 hours.

Days four to seven improve noticeably. Most people are back to normal eating by the end of the week, avoiding the socket itself.

Two weeks for the gum to close over. Stitches, if used, either dissolve or come out around a week.

Get in touch if pain increases after day three, particularly a deep ache spreading to the ear with a bad taste. That can be a dry socket, where the clot is lost, and it is straightforward to treat but miserable if ignored.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does wisdom tooth pain last?

A few days to a week if the tooth is erupting normally, and that can repeat over months as it moves. Pain from an impacted tooth or an infected gum flap does not resolve on its own and needs treating.

Can wisdom tooth pain go away by itself?

Eruption pain, yes. Infection and impaction, no. If it is easing each day it is probably settling. If it is not better after three or four days, something else is going on.

Why does my wisdom tooth hurt but nothing is showing?

The tooth is likely impacted under the gum or bone. That is diagnosed with an X-ray, since there is nothing to see in the mouth.

Does everyone need their wisdom teeth out?

No. UK guidance advises against removing wisdom teeth that are not causing problems. Roughly speaking, if it has come through fully and you can clean it, it can stay.

How much does wisdom tooth removal cost in the UK?

Simple extractions start from £195 with us. Surgical removal of an impacted tooth typically runs £200 to £600 privately depending on difficulty. On the NHS it is a Band 2 charge, if clinically indicated.

Is it worse to have upper or lower wisdom teeth removed?

Lower ones are generally more involved. The bone is denser, access is tighter, and the roots sit closer to a nerve. Uppers are often surprisingly quick.

How long before I can go back to work?

One to two days for a simple extraction. Two to three for a surgical removal, and longer if you had sedation or several teeth out at once.

Can wisdom teeth cause pain in other teeth or my ear?

Yes. Pain refers along shared nerve pathways, so lower wisdom teeth commonly present as earache or jaw ache, and pressure from an impacted tooth can make the whole side feel sore.

Get Seen in Elephant & Castle

If a wisdom tooth is flaring up, the first thing worth knowing is which of the three situations you are in, because the answers are completely different. That usually takes an examination and a small X-ray.

Call 020 7928 4474 or book online. We keep emergency slots each day, and our emergency dentist page covers what we treat same-day. If the pain is currently unmanageable, our guide to stopping severe tooth pain has more on getting through the next few hours.

Private fees start from £195 for a simple extraction. Market ranges quoted are indicative UK figures from published 2026 guides. NHS band charges change each April. This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Last reviewed August 2026.