How To Prevent Wisdom Tooth Infection

How Long Does Pain After Wisdom Tooth Extraction Last

How to Treat Wisdom Tooth Infection

After your anaesthetic has worn off, the extraction site itself will feel sore for several days. The rate of healing will depend on how large the wound is and whether you have stitches. Your dentist might prescribe you a course of antibiotics to prevent infection, and will either supply painkillers or inform you of the best over-the-counter painkillers for wisdom tooth pain relief.

Here are some tips for minimising pain and reducing the chances of infection in the days after an extraction:

Rest as much as possible and avoid strenuous exercise
Don’t touch or poke the wound with your fingers or tongue
Avoid hot or cold foods and drinks
Don’t smoke, vape, or drink through a straw
If using mouthwash or salt water to rinse, do so gently
Brush very carefully around the extraction site

Closely follow your dentist’s advice for protecting the wound and the blood clot that forms inside. If the blood clot becomes dislodged, you’ll experience intense pain from the exposed bone. This condition, known as dry socket, requires additional dental care.

Wisdom teeth removal pain doesnt last forever, but knowing what to expect, and how to prepare, can help with how you handle your post-op period. Following wisdom teeth removal, the gum is normally sore from the time until anaesthetic wears off until around three days later.

Dr. Robert Berry, Mountain Aire Dentistry

If you feel like your pain is increasing in the days after an extraction, consult your dentist.

Wisdom Teeth Removal Aftercare

After having your wisdom teeth removed, follow your dentist or oral surgeons instructions carefully.

The spaces, or sockets, where your wisdom teeth used to be will form blood clots after surgery. These blood clots will need time and gentle care to heal properly and form new, healthy tissue.

Your oral surgeon will likely prescribe antibiotics to keep infection at bay while your mouth heals. Take the medication as directed. They may also give you a pharmaceutical-grade mouthwash, such as chlorhexidine.

You may be in pain for a few days once the anesthesia wears off. In some cases, your dentist or oral surgeon might prescribe you a pain medication.

Your dentist or oral surgeon will probably advise you to avoid the following during recovery:

Strenuous exercise
Drinking through a straw
Eating hard or crunchy foods

Take these and any other instructions seriously. Otherwise, youll risk disturbing the blood clots in the back of your mouth.

If the blood clot in a tooth socket is damaged or dislodged, you may develop a painful condition known as a dry socket. This causes the underlying bone and nerves to be exposed to air, which can lead to infection.

A dry socket is treatable. Still, you can avoid it altogether by following your doctors post-surgical instructions.

A week or so after your wisdom tooth removal, pain should subside. You will have a follow-up appointment with your dentist or oral surgeon around this time.

In this article

Do I Need To See A Dentist For Pericoronitis

Yes. If you develop pericoronitis symptoms such as pain, fever or bleeding gums schedule an appointment with a dentist right away. They can prescribe antibiotics to clear up any infection and determine if further treatment is necessary.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Left untreated, pericoronitis can cause a domino-effect of oral and overall health problems. When diagnosed and treated early on, the condition is easily managed. Some people with pericoronitis only require monitoring, while others may need surgery to either remove the gum flap or remove the affected wisdom tooth. Ask your dentist which treatment option is right for you.

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 09/11/2022.

References

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services.Policy

Also Check: Can I Get Flu Shot With Sinus Infection

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 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.

When To See A Doctor

How To Reduce Wisdom Teeth Removal Swelling

Don’t wait until your dental abscess ruptures to seek treatment. Visit the doctor promptly to prevent the spread of the infection.

Common symptoms of a dental infection that requires urgent treatment include:

Noticeable pimple under the gums
Swelling and inflammation near the affected tooth
Bad taste in the mouth
A severe, throbbing toothache that doesnt resolve
Swollen and painful lymph nodes in the neck
Pain when chewing or biting down

How To Ease Wisdom Tooth Pain Naturally

If you prefer to use a natural wisdom tooth pain remedy, clove oil and salt water are both effective.

Cloves have antibacterial, anaesthetic and anti-inflammatory properties. You can apply diluted clove oil directly to the painful area for quick relief. A salt water mouth rinse is also an effective way to kill bacteria and reduce any swelling.

Read more about how to use these and other ways to help wisdom tooth pain at home.

Use An Antibacterial Mouthwash

This is why most dentists recommend the use of a povidine-iodine mouthwash that does not interfere with healing and can be used 48-72 hours after the procedure has been completed so that the initial healing would have already taken place. A chlorhexidine containing mouthwash can even be used pre-operatively to minimize the chances of infection later on .

It is recommended that the use of a mouthwash be done only after talking about it with your dentist.

Also Check: Can A Tooth Infection Make Your Face Swell

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
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.

Dont Miss: How To Avoid A Yeast Infection While Taking Antibiotics

Common Signs Of Infection

How To Alleviate Infected Wisdom Tooth

After wisdom tooth extraction, a blood clot naturally forms to protect the extraction site and prevent bacteria from entering the area. If this blood clot is compromised or dislodged in any way, an infection may result. While some bleeding and swelling are normal after oral surgery, there are clear indicators to watch out for. Call our staff right away if you notice:

Excess bleeding at the extraction site
Pain that does not go away with medication
Increased swelling of the face and jaw
Oozing discharge or pus

Don’t Miss: Do Tooth Infections Go Away

How To Do A Salt Water Rinse:

Pour about eight ounces of warm water into a glass and stir in two tablespoons of salt until its completely dissolved. Rinse with the water for twelve seconds, or as long as you can stand the salty taste, and then spit it out. Repeat the process every few hours, and youll begin experiencing pain relief.

A salt water mouth rinse can reduce bacteria on your teeth and gums because it temporarily increases the pH balance of your mouth and creates an alkaline environment in which bacteria struggle to survive.

Do you have a toothache that just wont go away? Our office has day of appointments so you can get the help you need. Contact Absolute Dental today.

Preventing Wisdom Tooth Infections

While you cannot always prevent infections, there are some steps you can take to diminish your chances of it coming up.

Make sure you brush twice daily and ensure youre getting the furthest edges of your mouth.
Floss daily as well, particularly on those molars on the very ends of your mouth these are often the most neglected and hardest to reach.
Consider regularly using mouthwash to keep mouth bacteria at bay between brushings.
See your dentist for cleanings at least twice a year, based on their recommendations. They can get into places and assess a need for cleaning that you cant by yourself.

With proper dental hygiene and regular monitoring from a dentist, you should be able to prevent wisdom tooth infections. Your dentist can determine if removing your wisdom teeth as a preventative measure is something to consider, which can help prevent issues further down the line.

If you are experiencing any wisdom teeth issues, do not hesitate to drop by so we can take a look for you. Our dental professionals at Ocean Dental would be happy to explain the treatments available.

You May Like: Does Vitamin C Help With Yeast Infections

Tips To Follow After Tooth Extraction

Follow these guidelines to ensure excellent results and make sure healing is going as planned:

Use gauze: As we mentioned, some bleeding is expected during recovery. Gauze can help manage bleeding at the incision site. After placing the gauze, bite down lightly and try not to disturb the area. Feel free to change out gauze as needed.
Take all antibiotics as prescribed: Most patients will be prescribed antibiotics before or after oral surgery. Unless your oral surgeon tells you otherwise, do not stop taking your antibiotics prematurely. This may cause your medication to become ineffective.
Get rest: Avoid strenuous physical activity for at least several days after tooth extraction. This gives you time to recover and ease back into your normal routines.
Dont smoke or use tobacco: Smoking interferes with your bodys ability to heal properly. Not only that, but tobacco could introduce harmful bacteria into your system. Our team can let you know when its safe to start smoking again, but we highly recommend quitting for good.

How To Prevent Abscessed Teeth

Take proper care of your mouth. Spend a little more time with cleaning your gums. Brush thrice a day.
Floss twice a day. Many flavored flosses are available in supermarkets, so buy a flavor you can be friends with and start flossing.
Avoid chewing too much gum.
Use anti-microbial mouthwash to diminish the risk of infections.
Limit your use of tobacco or just give up smoking.
Adopt a healthy diet.
Limit the consumption of the sugary foods.
Buy a toothbrush thats friendly to your gums.
Brush your teeth gently. Do not apply too much force otherwise, the gums will start bleeding and you boost your risk of gum recession and gingivitis.

Most of these tips will help you to prevent not only abscessed tooth, but also many other gum conditions.

Take Your Medication As Instructed

You may be prescribed a combination of antibiotics and painkillers after the procedure is over. The duration for which the medication is advised to be taken will vary depending upon the kind of infection that was present before the procedure as well as the invasiveness of the surgery .

The most important thing to do as a patient is to ensure that the medication is taken as instructed and not left incomplete in the middle. This allows the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria which can cause a serious infection.

Signs Of Wisdom Tooth Removal Infection

You experience difficulty in breathing or swallowing your food.

Theres excessive bleeding in the surgical site.

The gums surrounding the extraction site is swelling.

You have bad breath or taste in the mouth even after you gargle with a saltwater rinse.

The feeling is numbness is past 24 hours since the wisdom tooth removal.

Pus is developing in the socket.

Its painful when you open and close your mouth.

You still feel dental pain even after taking prescribed medications.

You have a high temperature within the week following the procedure.

There is blood or pus discharge from your nose.

You need to immediately seek your dentists help at the first sign of any of the tooth extraction infection symptoms. These should not be taken lightly as they may escalate to other dental problems.

You May Like: Can Yeast Infection Spread To Eyes

How Long Does Wisdom Tooth Infection Last

When it comes round to the duration of the wisdom tooth infection, the same can last for quite some time.

The main reason being the fact that the infection doesnt happen overnight. This is the reason why the treatment and the cure also take some time as well. It is best suggested to opt for the necessary remedies to get faster results.

Is A Wisdom Tooth Infection Bacterial

How To Stop Wisdom Tooth Pain At Home – Advice From A Dentist

Yes, When wisdom teeth only partially erupt, pericoronitis might occur . An operculum is a soft tissue growth that forms above a partially erupted wisdom tooth. Bacteria can become trapped behind the operculum.

This allows germs to infiltrate the area around the tooth, causing inflammation and swelling. Food debris, germs, or plaque, a bacterial film that stays on teeth after eating, can also become trapped behind the gingiva, a flap of gum that surrounds a tooth. If it remains, it might irritate the gums and cause pericoronitis. In severe situations, the swelling and infection may spread to the cheeks and neck.

Also Check: Sinus Infection Swollen Face One Side

Engorged Or Sensitive Gums

Sometimes when the infection starts with the wisdom teeth but spreads to the gum around it. If you put pressure on or contact an infected gum with your finger or a toothbrush, it will most likely be swollen, red, and extremely painful. It might also be enlarged due to a pus-filled abscess, which a dentist can detect.

Wisdom Tooth Infection What Causes It And How We Treat It

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? Lets 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 isnt 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 theyre 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?

Your Mouth Tastes Bad

If an abscess around your wisdom tooth begins to secrete, then you may have a salty taste in your mouthâor another taste thatâs equally as unpleasant. Because an abscess is generally hard to notice, a sudden bad taste in your mouth is usually a more obvious sign that you have a wisdom tooth infection.

Symptoms Of A Dental Abscess

What To Do If You Have A Wisdom Tooth Infection

Symptoms of an abscess in your tooth or gum may include:

an intense throbbing pain in the affected tooth or gum that may come on suddenly and gets gradually worse
pain that spreads to your ear, jaw and neck on the same side as the affected tooth or gum
pain thatâs worse when lying down, which may disturb your sleep
redness and swelling in your face
a tender, discoloured or loose tooth
shiny, red and swollen gums
sensitivity to hot or cold food and drink
bad breath or an unpleasant taste in your mouth

If the infection spreads, you may also develop a high temperature and feel generally unwell.

In severe cases, you may find it hard to fully open your mouth and have difficulty swallowing or breathing.

Donât Miss: Yeast Infection Test Strips Walgreens

A Jaw Or Facial Discomfort

If you have pain in your face, it might be from your teeth, but if you have discomfort in your jaw or the sides of your face, it could be from an impacted or diseased wisdom tooth. Because your wisdom teeth are located at the back and side of your mouth, if you have an infection in one, you will most likely have discomfort in your jaw or on the side of your face. However, discomfort in your jaw and teeth can propagate, so you may experience pain in another portion of your face or mouth.

Other Causes Of Tooth Or Gum Pain

Pain in the teeth or gums may not indicate an infection. It can be a symptom of:

gum disease, or gingivitis
worn dental fillings

If tooth or gum pain lasts more than a few days, make an appointment with a dentist. They will work to identify the cause of the pain and recommend appropriate treatments.