Infected Wisdom Teeth Symptoms

The third molars are commonly known as "wisdom teeth", since they erupt last, sometimes around late teens, or even in early twenties, when you are supposed to have gained wisdom! Adults may have four wisdom teeth, but the number may vary from person to person. Some may have none at all.

Generally, when these teeth develop, they become impacted, and lead to overcrowding of teeth in the mouth. This results in several dental problems and oral health problems like gum infection and tooth decay.

• Irritation: Due to the space insufficiency in the mouth, a wisdom tooth sometimes gets trapped, and leads to irritation. You may feel uneasy and uncomfortable because of the irritation.

• Pain: A localized infection around the tooth, known as "pericoronitis", may lead to pain in the affected area. Excruciating pain is the most common symptom of an infection in a tooth.
• Sour Throat and Nausea: When the infection spreads into the deeper tissues of the face and jaw, the person may experience sour throat or nausea.

• Fever: Many times, due to the infection, the body temperature rises, and fatigue can be noted.
• Difficulty in Swallowing: Difficulty in opening the jaw, difficulty in swallowing can be experienced.
• Pus: Sometimes, an infection leads to formation of pus in the socket or near the gum.

• Swollen Lymph Glands: Because of the worsened infection or bad angle of eruption of the teeth, there can be swelling of the lymph glands under the jaw, resulting in pain in throat.

• Facial Swelling: The teeth erupted at wrong angles or at wrong positions may lead to facial swelling. Or it can be because of worsened pericoronitis too. The swelling can also be noticed around the ear and throat.
• Reddened and Inflamed Gum: Because of the erupting teeth, gum around the teeth is generally reddened or inflamed.

• Difficulty Brushing: Upcoming teeth lead to difficulty in brushing and flossing.
• Chewing Problem: Impacted teeth may grate against the cheek, after leaning sideways. This may lead to ulcers on the cheek resulting in difficulty in chewing.

• Cysts or Tumor: Very rarely, cysts or tumors are observed around the impacted tooth. Unerupted tooth, which is impacted in the jawbone, may lead to the formation of a cyst.
• Headache: The infected tooth can cause headache and constant jaw pain.
• Bad Breath: An infection leads to bad breath.

• Over the counter pain relievers can help a lot.
• Swishing with warm salt water will help in soothing the gums.

• Antibiotics, when taken under the guidance of a dentist, will be quite effective in relieving the pain, and in controlling the infection.
• Dental care can prevent worsening of the infection. If the infection is detected at an earlier stage, it can be easily cured. Regular dental checkup is necessary, as it helps detect the problems at initial stages.

• As the wisdom teeth are located at the back of the mouth, they are more vulnerable to tooth decay. Practicing good dental hygiene, by adequate brushing and flossing, will definitely restrict the infection from spreading deeper.

• The tooth needs to be removed, if the infection or pain persists. If the impacted tooth is obstructing the jaw movement, or creating problems while chewing, then it is removed by the dentist. In very rare cases, surgical removal is suggested. The extraction of wisdom tooth can be as easy as that of any other tooth.

Oral hygiene is very much significant for healthy gums and teeth. Dental health care information can always help you learn how to deal with toothache or any other symptoms regarding an infected tooth.

Disclaimer: This post is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.