How to know if wisdom tooth is infected

Anyone who has ever suffered from a painful wisdom tooth infection will tell you it’s best to avoid this situation altogether. The pain associated with a wisdom tooth infection can be extreme and should be treated quickly to avoid further complications. In fact, having an infected wisdom tooth is a common symptom associated with impacted wisdom teeth.

Causes of Wisdom Teeth Infections

Impacted wisdom teeth occur when your third set of molars, otherwise known as wisdom teeth, don’t grow in properly or all the way. When a wisdom tooth erupts only partially, the opening can serve as a breeding ground for bacteria, resulting in a wisdom tooth infection.

Otherwise known as pericoronitis, a wisdom tooth infection is serious and can be a bit tricky to treat. That’s because when your wisdom teeth don’t come in all the way, a flap of gum will cover where the partial eruption started. Your wisdom tooth infection is unlikely to heal until this flap of gum is removed, your wisdom tooth comes in all the way, or the wisdom tooth is removed.

Wisdom teeth, also known as your third molars, are the last teeth to come into your mouth. This typically occurs between the ages of 17 and 25. Unfortunately, the mouth and jaw are often not large enough to accommodate these new teeth, which can lead to a series of problems. Other problems often associated with wisdom teeth eruption occur if the wisdom teeth grow in sideways, emerge only partially, or get trapped beneath the gum and bone. Any of these complications can lead to a painful wisdom tooth infection, otherwise known as pericoronitis. This occurs when bacteria and food pieces get trapped under the flap near your wisdom teeth, leading to infection.

Wisdom Tooth Infection Treatment

There are numerous ways to treat wisdom teeth infection, including a conservative approach to treatment or surgical extraction. If your wisdom teeth have come in without problems, your dental professional may choose to leave them in and watch them over time.

1. The Conservative Approach: However, if you begin to experience pain caused by wisdom teeth infection, your dental professional or oral surgeon may recommend a conservative approach to treatment such as using over-the-counter pain relievers, antibiotics for the infection, mouthwashes, or saltwater rinses. Regardless of whether or not you choose surgery, you should still visit a dental professional if you think you have a wisdom tooth infection. In the meantime, you can use an ice pack to reduce swelling, rinse with saltwater, or take some over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or aspirin. These methods can be effective for individuals with certain health problems such as a bleeding disorder who prefer not to undergo surgery. However, if your wisdom teeth infection worsens, surgery may become your best chance for relief.
2. The Surgical Approach: Surgical extraction is a common method for avoiding complications such as wisdom teeth infection. Experts believe that when infected wisdom teeth cause complications. Since approximately 85 percent of all wisdom teeth need to be removed, many dentists will recommend extraction to prevent further wisdom tooth infection. If you are not a candidate for surgery, or if you prefer to avoid it, there may be other treatment options.

Sources:

1. http://scienceline.org/2007/02/ask-cooper-wisdomteeth/
2. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/wisdom-teeth/basics/definition/con-20026676

While on the one hand, you may be looking forward to getting your wisdom teeth through, you probably know that they have a reputation for causing disruption in the mouth. One common problem is wisdom tooth infection, but what causes it and what should you be looking out for? Let’s dive in and take a closer look.

Wisdom teeth normally make an appearance in the late teens or early twenties and because they are the last set of teeth to arrive, there often isn’t sufficient room in the mouth to accommodate them.

As a result, they end up jostling for space, erupting at awkward angles, pushing into neighbouring teeth and sometimes getting stuck in the gums when they’re referred to as ‘impacted’ wisdom teeth.

Each of these issues has the potential to trigger an infection.

So what are the symptoms, how do you know if you have a problem with a wisdom tooth?

Wisdom Tooth Infection – Common Symptoms

You may have an infection in a wisdom tooth if you are suffering from any of the problems listed below:

• Pain in the jaw or the side of the face
• Pain in or around the tooth
• Bad breath
• Reddened or swollen gums around the tooth
• A fever
• Difficulty chewing
• Swollen lymph glands
• Difficulty opening the mouth

If you are experiencing any of the above problems, then we recommend you visit your dentist right away.

Causes of Wisdom Tooth Infection

There are several possible causes of infection in a wisdom tooth or where the tooth once was. These include:

An impacted wisdom tooth – Impaction happens when a person’s jaw has insufficient room for a wisdom tooth to erupt, in a situation referred to as ‘tooth crowding’.

Wisdom teeth may only emerge partially from the gum line or they can become trapped beneath it.

Either way, this can lead to inflammation of the gums and infection around the wisdom teeth. Sometimes soft tissue forms over the partially erupted wisdom tooth and is known as an operculum.

An operculum isn’t always good for your mouth because it tends to trap food particles causing bacteria to thrive. This, in turn, causes an infection which is often followed by an abscess that forms beneath the operculum. If the abscess isn’t treated, the infection spreads and progresses into pericoronitis. In severe cases, this can be extremely painful leaving the patient to call for an emergency dentist.

Cavities – A cavity in a wisdom tooth can also be the cause of infection. Because wisdom teeth are located at the very back of the mouth they are difficult to reach with your toothbrush. Flossing wisdom teeth can be even more difficult. As a result, these teeth are vulnerable to decay.

Wisdom tooth extraction – Wisdom tooth removal is a common procedure to pre-empt problems caused by teeth that are struggling to erupt or get stuck. Infection can sometimes occur after wisdom teeth removal.

Continued discomfort and/or swelling after the first 2- or 3-days following wisdom tooth removal is often a good indicator that you have an infection. You may experience a yellow discharge from the infected socket which leaves a nasty taste in your mouth or you may feel sick or develop a fever.

Wisdom Teeth Infection – Complications

Sometimes an infection in the wisdom teeth can lead to other health problems. These include:

• A cyst – This is a fluid sac that forms near to a tooth that can be caused by impacted wisdom teeth or infection. Cysts can affect the roots of adjacent teeth and may even weaken or damage the jaw.
• Severe or recurrent infections – Chronic infection from wisdom teeth can travel through the mouth, jaw, and respiratory tract which in rare cases can enter the bloodstream. This causes a serious health condition known as sepsis. Many dentists remove wisdom teeth at the first sign of trouble to prevent recurrent infections.

Treatment For Wisdom Teeth Infection 

Treatment for wisdom teeth infection generally depends on the cause and severity of the infection.

That said, treatment usually involves

• A thorough clean of the wisdom teeth and the surrounding teeth and gums
• An antiseptic mouth wash
• A course of antibiotics to treat the cause of the infection

These methods will help to calm the situation and get the infection under control, but in most cases, the wisdom teeth will probably need to be extracted. This is to help prevent further infection and damage to soft tissues.

Home Remedies

A minor wisdom tooth infection will often go away of its own accord in a few days. Taking over the counter painkillers such as Ibuprofen can help ease the pain and reduce any swelling.

Rinsing with warm salt water often provides relief from symptoms and can be done several times throughout the day to keep the area clean.

It’s also important to brush gently around the wisdom teeth to remove any food particles and plaque using a soft-bristled toothbrush.

When To See Your Dentist

If your pain persists for more than 3 or 4 days or you are experiencing swelling, then pay a visit to your dentist. He or she will identify the cause of the problem and suggest the best treatment.

Whatever you do, don’t delay visiting a dentist until the pain becomes severe or you develop significant swelling. Often, when this happens a person can require emergency care.

Whether your wisdom teeth have yet to come through or you are experiencing discomfort, get in touch with experienced dentists at No Gaps Dental.

Book online or call us on (02) 8806 0181today to schedule a consultation.

Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks.

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