Infected Wisdom Tooth: When Is Extraction Necessary?

Apart from causing pain, the infection of your wisdom tooth may also cause swelling of your jaw, tenderness, bad breath, bad taste, and inability to open your mouth. Your wisdom teeth are those adult teeth which develop at a later age – usually during adolescence or early adulthood. Because there can be little room for their growth, wisdom teeth can become either partially or fully impacted and thus cause poor dental hygiene and consequently an infection.

But is it always necessary to extract your wisdom tooth when it is infected? Sometimes, it is unnecessary, depending on such factors as the location of the tooth, the severity of the infection, your symptoms, and possible recurrence.

What Causes an Infected Wisdom Tooth?

Wisdom teeth cannot be brushed effectively because they are located at the rear part of the mouth. An incompletely erupted wisdom tooth is responsible for accumulation of food and bacteria near the tooth.

As a result of this, swelling and infection of the gum tissue near the wisdom tooth takes place. Impacted wisdom tooth extraction is recommended in case of an impacted wisdom tooth, which is caught between other teeth and keeps causing infections and dental problems.

The other possible causes of infection are as follows:

• Decay

• Gum infection

• Accumulation of food and plaque near the tooth

• Incompletely erupted wisdom tooth

• Impacted wisdom tooth

• Tooth/gum injury

Signs You May Have an Infected Wisdom Tooth

The infection may present different symptoms, which could be pain, swelling, and others.

The symptoms are:

• Pain on the wisdom teeth location

• Red and swollen gums

• Sensitivity when eating

• Bad breath

• Bad taste in the mouth

• Pus formation in the gum area

• Jaw or cheek swelling

• Difficulties in opening the mouth

• Occasionally, fever

A dental abscess causes pain, swelling, fever, and bad taste in the mouth. It is advisable to treat the abscess at the earliest possible because it will not get better on its own.

If there are any difficulties breathing, swollen glands, or swelling of the face, immediate medical help should be taken.

Does an Infected Wisdom Tooth Always Need Extraction?

No. Not all infections lead to the necessity to have your tooth extracted.

Your dentist will examine your wisdom tooth and its surroundings with the help of dental X-ray in order to find out its location. The course of treatment will depend on the reason of infection and the severity of the problem.

In some cases, your dentist will advise you to begin with the treatment of the area by improving your dental hygiene or by any other means. Sometimes your dentist will prescribe you some antibiotics but they will not always solve the problem.

In case of severe damage, difficulty to clean the tooth or repeated infections, wisdom tooth extraction may be advised.

When Is Wisdom Tooth Removal Necessary?

There are specific situations in which a dentist might recommend wisdom teeth extraction due to difficulties associated with these teeth.

They may be as follows:

• Recurring gum infection

• Tooth decay

• Tooth impaction

• Damage to adjacent teeth

• Bad positioning, making them difficult to clean

• Dental cyst

• Problems recurring despite treatment

As stated by Healthdirect, chronic infections, tooth decay, impaction, and bad positioning are one of the reasons for wisdom teeth extraction.

What Happens When Wisdom Tooth Extraction is Done?

The process of extraction largely depends on where the wisdom tooth is located.

There are instances where a wisdom tooth can be extracted in a simple process of local anaesthetic. However, there are instances where a surgical extraction is required, especially some lower wisdom teeth. This involves making an incision in the gum area, removal of some of the bone or dividing the tooth before its removal.

Your dentist or oral surgeon will determine what would best suit your case.

How About The Extraction Of Impacted Wisdom Teeth?

An impacted wisdom tooth is a wisdom tooth that has not erupted into the mouth and it is blocked by other teeth or bones around the area.

An impacted wisdom tooth may not always have symptoms but there are instances where an impacted wisdom tooth contributes to infection or decay of other teeth.

Impacted wisdom teeth removal is considered when they pose a problem again and again.

Is Wisdom Tooth Responsible for Ear Pain?

Indeed, there may be instances where one’s wisdom tooth causes pain that may spread from the jaw bone all the way to the ears. However, the reasons for one having ear pains are many and do not always mean the wisdom teeth.

If you want to find out whether wisdom teeth may be responsible for causing ear pain, the dentist will check your teeth to establish its causative nature.

Extracting Wisdom Tooth During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, it is clear that there are changes in the mouth such that some problems may arise with the teeth and gum and cannot be ignored because one is pregnant.

If you have problems like pain, swelling and any infections of the wisdom tooth during your pregnancy, seek the services of your dentist and he/she will give you the right solution.

If you want to find out if wisdom teeth fall off during pregnancy, then it is clear that wisdom teeth will not fall off during pregnancy.

Finding Treatment for Wisdom Teeth Near You

Some of the common phrases used while searching for nearby services include "wisdom tooth extraction Wyndham Vale," "wisdom teeth extraction Epping," "wisdom tooth removal Camberwell," "wisdom teeth extraction Balwyn," "wisdom teeth extraction Fawkner," and "wisdom teeth extraction Aspendale."

Some of the other phrases include "wisdom tooth removal Balwyn," "wisdom tooth extraction Toorak," "wisdom teeth removal Camberwell," "wisdom teeth extraction Hampton," "wisdom teeth extraction Oak Park," "wisdom tooth removal Balwyn North," "wisdom teeth removal Ferntree Gully," "wisdom teeth extraction Somerton," "wisdom tooth extraction Airport West," and "wisdom teeth extraction Coolaroo."

If there are signs of infection, the first thing to do is examine the tooth.

What Does the Cost of Wisdom Tooth Extraction Amount To?

The cost of wisdom tooth extraction may depend on various elements such as the location of the tooth, the complexity of the process, as well as the kind of anaesthetic used and the place of extraction.

Prior to the extraction, consult your dentist or oral surgeon for more details and find out if your health insurance covers the procedure.

Recovery From Wisdom Teeth Extraction

There will be some pain, swelling and slight bleeding after the procedure. You will get certain instructions for aftercare from your dental practitioner.

In general, the formation of a blood clot is very essential during healing. Smokers are at higher risk of having dry sockets.

Consult your dentist if you have severe pain, bleeding, fever or swelling.

When Is It Time To Visit The Dentist?

In case you suspect that you have a wisdom tooth infection, it would be advisable to schedule an appointment with the dentist as opposed to hoping that the symptoms will clear up on their own.

Getting an early evaluation could help determine the cause of the problem, which may include infection, impaction, cavities, or any other problem.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the symptoms of an infection of the wisdom tooth?

Symptoms may be pain, swelling or inflammation of gums, halitosis, bad taste, pus presence, inability to open the mouth completely and fever.

2. Is it necessary to extract the wisdom tooth in case of infection?

Not always. It depends on the cause of infection, severity of the infection, and the position of the tooth.

3. Is it possible that an infected wisdom tooth is an impacted one?

Yes. In case the wisdom tooth is impacted or partly erupted, it is difficult to clean which results in bacteria and food accumulation around the tooth.

4. Is it possible that wisdom teeth result in ear pain?

Wisdom tooth pain may occur around the area of the ear or jaw, however, it can be caused by some other reason.

5. How much does it cost to extract wisdom teeth?

It depends on different factors such as complexity of the procedure, anesthesia used and place where the procedure takes place.

6. Are wisdom teeth susceptible to infections during pregnancy?

Although pregnancy may affect oral health, the case of infection needs to be evaluated by the dentist. The dentist can provide an appropriate response to the case.

7. What is the procedure of extracting wisdom teeth?

Depending on the tooth, the extraction process may require a local anaesthesia. In difficult cases, surgery involving the gums or bones around the tooth is required.

8. What is the duration of recovery?

The duration of recovery varies from one individual to another based on the difficulty of the extraction process. The patient will resume normal activities within a week.

9. Can antibiotics be applied to an infected wisdom tooth?

Although antibiotics can be used in some situations, it does not always work on the recurrent problem of wisdom teeth. The patient needs to consult the dentist.

10. When should I go to the emergency room?

In case of extreme swelling that causes difficulties breathing and speaking and especially in the case of swelling in the mouth, throat, neck, and face.