Your oral health is very important to maintain and practicing healthy habits each day is imperative to ensure that your teeth are as strong and healthy as possible. However, a common oral problem that people suffer from is infected wisdom teeth. Infected wisdom teeth, also known as pericoronitis, can have lasting effects on one’s health.
What are Wisdom Teeth?
Wisdom teeth have the name they are given because when we become older, and naturally wiser, they start to erupt. Dentists refer to these teeth as third molars because they are the third set of molars that grow during permanent teeth development. However, because wisdom teeth are the last set of teeth to become permanent, it gives way to a lot of potential issues. Oftentimes, wisdom teeth will find little room to break through the gums because of the teeth that are already present. Sometimes, these teeth cannot break through the gums at all, and these teeth eventually become impacted.
Symptoms of Infected Wisdom Teeth
There are a few symptoms that can easily be identified as an infected wisdom tooth. The most obvious symptom is pain at the site in question. If there is difficulty opening the mouth, swelling in the gum tissue or a bad taste in the mouth (which could be caused by pus leakage from the gums), that can also suggest there is an infection. While it is less common, swollen lymph nodes in the neck can also be a possible sign. Dentists will normally take an X-ray of the area to determine the alignment of the teeth, and the presence of a gum flap can be easily detected to confirm the diagnosis.
How Infection Takes Place
In other cases, wisdom teeth find themselves breaking through only a portion of the way and eventually get stuck in their growth. This can lead directly to infection. If a tooth only has come a little portion through the surface, then a flap of gum tissue will cover it. With this flap in place, food particles and other foreign materials can get stuck in between. If these materials aren’t removed, this can irritate the gum tissue and cause infection as a result. This can cause that area of the mouth to be very painful, causing discomfort when eating or brushing teeth. Pericoronitis takes place when the tissue surrounding the crown of the wisdom tooth is inflamed. You should consult a dentist like Dr. Thomas Ocheltree for more information about the infection process and how it can impact you.
How Infection Impacts You and How to Respond
Infections in the gums and areas surrounding the wisdom tooth can spread to the jaw. In turn, infections that take place in the jaw can circulate in the bloodstream in other rare cases. That is why it is very important to not believe that the wisdom tooth infection remains localized in the mouth. If it goes without treatment or removal, it can have lasting effects on other areas of the body.
In order to alleviate discomfort and the problem altogether, a long-term plan is needed to determine if the wisdom tooth needs to be removed altogether. Sometimes, all that is needed is for the excess gum flap to be removed. In other cases, if the infection is deep, the tooth itself will have to be removed as well.
Treatment Plans at Home
According to Thomas Ocheltree, you do not have to wait for your next dentist appointment to take action against wisdom tooth infections. While you obviously cannot operate yourself, there are treatment plans that you can implement at home to alleviate discomfort. The priority is to reduce the swelling and inflammation as much as possible. This is typically caused by the bacterial growth within the area.
One such intervention that can help with symptom relief is to rinse with an alcohol-free antibiotic solution or some warm saltwater. If you do this on a regular base, you can prevent the bacteria from overgrowing so the wisdom tooth can grow in without having to overcome any blockage. Doing this can also clean up any infection that may be lingering before addressing the inflamed gums. Dr. Thomas Ocheltree happens to be an expert in the industry if you have lingering concerns.
In addition, it is always important to maintain excellent oral care. This means brushing your teeth on a regular basis, flossing after meals and rinsing with mouthwash. If you notice that pain or discomfort does not leave you after an extended period of time, you should seek professional assistance in order to prevent complications that can arise as a result.
