Yesterday I ate some dry rice crispies and I thought I scratched my gum in the back on the bottom. It hurt all day and it got worse at night and got swollen so I thought I got a rice crispie stuck under the gum so I tried to get it out but nothing came out. Today it's even more swollen and tender and it hurts all over my gum where my wisdom teeth are. I don't have my wisdom teeth yet I'm only 17 and my teeth have always taken a long time to fall out and grow adult teeth in. Is it my wisdom tooth just coming in and I just happened to bite on that side or did I injure my gum? It's so swollen now that I can't chew without pain so I've been eating soft food. My mom called the dentist but I don't know when I'm going. I am so scared that I'll have to get my wisdom teeth removed.

When one of my wisdom teeth had just partially erupted I would get hard or crunchy food jammed in between the gum and tooth and I too would swell up and get sore. So you may need your wisdom teeth out. But, while everyone in high school makes a HUGE deal about it, it really isn't a bad process at all. The very large majority of people who have their wisdom teeth out have absolutely no problem and little pain. The biggest thing will be you will be a bit muscle sore and your jaw will hurt to open it too much, but you will be just fine!

I went to the dentist. It's not my wisdom tooth it was some food or something caught under the gum and it got infected. Now I'm on antibiotics and I have to go back to get a gingivectomy.

I too am having the exact same problem. My wisdom teeth grew in years ago, and the doctor said there was enough room. On one side, my gum is swollen and sore and has been for two days. It hurts to swallow on that side, as well as to talk or eat.

It's the Easter weekend, though! Where can I seek help? Right now I'm taking extra strength Advil, and a pharmacist told me to "numb" it with Anbesol. (for cold sores, cankers, sore gums, etc.)

If anyone has any advice, I would be so very grateful.

If it's infected you'll be so happy once you get antibiotics. I took my first dose and the next morning the swelling went down so much. The gum still hurts a bit but I have to take the antibiotics for a week and hopefully it'll not hurt anymore.