Infection From Tooth Extraction: Symptoms Treatments And Prevention
Having a tooth pulled in adulthood is sometimes necessary. In fact, there is a chance of complications, even if the procedure you get is straightforward. One of the more severe complications is developing an infection from tooth extraction. This is a painful condition that can lead to a much more threatening situation. So, if you think you have an infection from your recent dental treatment, call your dentist or visit this website right away to get the help you need. In any case, heres what to look for if you are worried about complications developing after your tooth extraction, including the treatment and prevention you need to know.
When To See A Dentist
You should make an appointment to see your dentist if your wisdom teeth are causing severe pain. They’ll check your teeth and advise you whether they need to be removed.
If your dentist thinks you may need to have your wisdom teeth removed, they’ll usually carry out an X-ray of your mouth. This gives them a clearer view of the position of your teeth.
As with any teeth problems, it’s important to see your dentist as soon as possible, rather than waiting for your regular dental check-up.
Swollen Or Painful Gums
Sometimes the infection starts with the wisdom tooth but enters the gum around the tooth. An infected gum will likely be swollen, red, and very painful if you press on it or touch it with your finger or a toothbrush.¹ It may also be swollen because there is an abscess filled with pus but that is for a dentist to determine.
Recommended Reading: How Hiv Infects Cells Worksheet Answers
Complications After Tooth Extraction
There are specific complications that follow wisdom tooth extraction or dental surgery. The most common ones are:
1. Dry socket
Mayo Clinic reports that this is the most common complication after a dental surgery involving tooth extraction. It occurs when the clot that forms to fill the exposed socket is accidentally knocked off. This exposes the nerves at the bone leading to severe pain. Apart from the pain, bacteria can quickly attack the exposed bone tissue.
If it occurs, you should contact your dentist immediately. Some risk factors can increase your chance of developing a dry socket. These are:
An underlying infection
Smoking too early after the tooth extraction
Not following the proper guidelines regarding caring for the wound
If youre over 25 years
If the infection has already occurred, the dentist will prescribe antibiotics after ascertaining the root cause of the problem
2. Nerve injury
Even though it is by far less common than the dry socket, nerve injury can happen during tooth extraction or surgery near the root of the wisdom tooth. The sensory nerve that supplies sensing to the lower lip, tongue, and chin is usually located very close to the root of the wisdom tooth. For people aged between 12 and 18 years, wisdom teeth roots are usually short. This is the prime time for the extraction of these teeth.
3. Sinus communication
If it occurs to an adult, it seals off later. There are a few precautions around this also
How Does A Wisdom Tooth Cause Infection
A wisdom tooth can cause infection or a toothache for a variety of reasons. These teeth are harder to clean because they sit at the back of the mouth and food can become trapped between the teeth and gums. They can be easily missed when brushing and flossing.
Wisdom teeth can become impacted when there isnt enough space to properly develop. These teeth may partly emerge from the gums or they may not emerge at all .
Partially impacted wisdom teeth have a higher risk of causing a gum infection. Bacteria can easily become trapped around partially impacted wisdom teeth and cause pain and swelling. This condition is also referred to as pericoronitis.
Recommended Reading: Best Remedy For Bladder Infection
How Is Your Wisdom Tooth Removed
This procedure is carried out by a specialist surgeon. Before the procedure, a local anesthetic injection to numb the area around the tooth.
In some cases, a cut may be needed in your gum, and the tooth may need to be cut into smaller pieces before its removed.
This procedure y isnt painful because the area will be numb. In case you feel any pain, tell your dentist or oral surgeon to give you more anesthetic.
After the removal of a tooth, you may experience swelling, pain, and discomfort, both on the inside and outside your mouth. Your dentist may place gauze over the site of the extraction and ask you to keep the pressure on it by biting your jaws together for up to an hour. This is to allow a blood clot to form in the empty tooth socket. Blood clots are part of the healing process, so try not to dislodge them.
This condition is worse for only 3 days, but it can last up to two weeks. In some cases, antibiotics may be prescribed if you have an ongoing infection. For 24 hours after removing your wisdom tooth, you should not
- Rinse your mouth out with liquid
- Drink alcohol or smoke
- Drink hot liquids such as tea or soup
- Strenuous physical activity
Wisdom Teeth Extraction Shoreline Wa
Wisdom teeth extraction can help to relieve pain in a patients teeth that results from the wisdom teeth causing crowding issues or growing incorrectly. There are many different reasons you may need to extract your wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth extraction removes the third set of molars in the back of your mouth.
Wisdom teeth extraction is available at Gentling Smiles in Shoreline and the surrounding area. Most patients who need wisdom teeth extraction are in the stages of young adulthood. Call us today at to learn more and schedule an appointment.
Also Check: Bladder Infection Bleeding Like Period
Fully Impacted Wisdom Teeth Partially Impacted Wisdom Teeth And Non
Fully impacted wisdom teeth arent visible. Theyre completely hidden underneath your gums. A partially impacted wisdom tooth is slightly visible because part of it has erupted. Non-impacted wisdom teeth have erupted and are completely visible above your gum line. Its important to note that non-impacted wisdom teeth can still cause problems.
How Are Impacted Wisdom Teeth Treated
If your impacted teeth are causing pain, infection or other dental damage, wisdom teeth removal is usually recommended. Many dentists recommend this oral surgery procedure as a preventative measure to reduce the risk of problems in the future.
Are impacted teeth more painful to remove?
While impacted wisdom teeth are generally more difficult to remove, the process isnt necessarily more painful. Your dentist or oral surgeon will give you pain relievers to manage any post-operative discomfort.
What are the risks and complications of wisdom teeth removal?
Like any surgical procedure, wisdom teeth removal comes with some potential risks and complications, including:
- Dry sockets. This happens when the blood clot from surgery becomes dislodged from your tooth socket prematurely , exposing your bone. You can reduce the risk of dry sockets by avoiding drinking through straws after your wisdom teeth removal.
- Infection. Sometimes bacteria, food or debris can become trapped in the tooth socket, resulting in an infection. Your dentist or oral surgeon can prescribe antibiotics to treat an oral infection.
- Damage to nearby structures. Sometimes your nerves, jawbone, sinuses or other teeth can become damaged during wisdom teeth removal. Advanced surgical techniques reduce the risk of these injuries, but they can still happen. Additional oral surgery procedures may be necessary to address this type of damage.
Don’t Miss: Lupin 500 For Tooth Infection
Know The 10 Signs Of Wisdom Tooth Removal Infection
Some patients need not undergo wisdom tooth removal when their third molars come out in the correct position. However, it becomes necessary when a patients wisdom tooth is impacted. This means that his mouth does not have enough space for the third molar to properly develop. Another reason might be that its growth only causes damage to the neighboring teeth or the jaw bone. Dentists take a digital X-ray of the mouth to ensure that extraction is the best course of action.
The removal of a third molar no longer requires a tooth replacement. However, patients need to be extra cautious in caring for their mouth after the procedure to prevent tooth extraction infection. Conversely, how do you determine the signs and symptoms of an infection after the rear tooth extraction?
Severe Or Recurrent Infections
A severe wisdom tooth infection can spread throughout the mouth, jaw, and upper respiratory tract. In rare cases, the infection travels to the bloodstream. This is a serious health issue known as .
Many dentists remove wisdom teeth at the first sign of trouble to avoid the risk of severe or recurrent infections.
The best treatment for a wisdom tooth infection partly depends on the cause and severity of the infection. However, treatment usually involves:
- a thorough cleansing of the affected wisdom tooth and the surrounding gums and teeth
- the use of antiseptic mouthwash
- a course of antibiotics to treat the cause of the infection
The methods above will help get the infection under control, but the wisdom tooth will still most likely need to be extracted. This will help prevent further infections and damage to surrounding tissues.
Also Check: How To Reduce Swelling Due To Tooth Infection
Symptoms That May Indicate You Need Your Wisdom Teeth Removed
Sooner or later, most people will need to get their wisdom teeth removed. It might just be a matter of time before you need to get your own taken out but how do you know when to say goodbye to those pesky teeth? Often it is a dentist who will decide when you need to get them extracted, by looking at x-rays to determine whether they will cause problems or are at risk of decay.
But first, it is important to know the warning signs of a troublesome wisdom tooth so you can identify the issue as early as possible. Heres some of the main symptoms to look out for that could signal it is time to see your dentist and have them removed.
Stiffness Or Pain In Your Jaw
If wisdom teeth emerge improperly, they can change how your teeth bite together. This can be painful and result in stiffness that makes it difficult to open or close your mouth. Its important you address this concern as soon as possible because your mouth being improperly aligned can lead to serious issues.
Read Also: How To Avoid A Yeast Infection While Taking Antibiotics
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?
Aftercare For Wisdom Teeth Extraction
Patients should expect to rest for the remainder of the day following their wisdom teeth extraction. Though regular activities can be resumed as soon as the day after, patients should refrain from any strenuous activity for at least a week following their procedure. Otherwise, they run the risk of overexertion and dislodging the blood clot. Our team will provide patients with a customized recovery plan for their specific procedures.
Complications following wisdom teeth extraction are rare as long as patients follow this plan. However, patients should contact us immediately if they are experiencing any of the following:
- Blood or pus in nasal discharge
- Difficulty swallowing or breathing
- Foul taste in the mouth
- Persistent numbness or loss of feeling
- Pus in or oozing from the socket
- Severe pain that does not subside
- Swelling that does not subside after two or three days
Read Also: Can You Get A Bladder Infection From Antibiotics
Signs Of Infection After Oral Surgery
Most oral surgeries are standard procedures, and with advances in medical care being made every day, infection control practices are the best theyve ever been. Still, infections do occur once in a while, and as the patient, it is your job to know what to look for so that you can seek follow-up care when needed. Following your oral surgeons instructions, and being aware of the signs of an infection, are the best ways to ensure that your recovery will go as smoothly as possible.
Wisdom Tooth Extraction: The Procedure
Since tooth extraction is an inevitable event for all of us, we would think that it can join the safe and simple dental procedures we will have in our lifetime. The truth is, this dental procedure basically involves the same steps every single time, with the end result having lost a tooth.
The third set of your molars are the ones called your wisdom teeth. These third molars are the big teeth in the rear of your mouth. The third molars erupt the last. They got the name wisdom teeth because they usually appear between the ages of 17 to 25, where you already reached the age of maturity. If you need more fast facts about your wisdom teeth, visit this website to get all the tidbits to feed your curiosity.
Wisdom tooth extraction may look and sound more complicated than the usual tooth removal. This is because the positioning of the tooth is farther, and the extraction site is least accessible to the dentist. The tooth thats needed to be extracted is comparably bigger than most teeth. However, the same procedure applies, except for the fact that the dentist may need to section it or break it off for fast and safe extraction. If impacted, he may also need to slice the gum tissue above the molars to extract the tooth.
You May Like: Infected Gum Around One Tooth
Preventing A Wisdom Tooth Infection
Because wisdom tooth infections can happen from the way that the wisdom teeth break through the gums and the position of the teeth, its difficult to prevent a wisdom tooth infection. But getting regular dental cleanings and routine care can help prevent infections. If you are having trouble flossing and brushing your wisdom teeth, talk to your dentist about having them removed. For some people that are prone to infection, it might be safer to remove them than to continue to risk infections when you cant clean the area.
Red Gums Near Wisdom Tooth
If you have otherwise healthy, pink gums and notice that you have red and inflamed gum tissue toward the back of your mouth, it is possible that you have infected wisdom teeth. If your wisdom teeth do not have an infection, they could be impacted. It is important to discuss this symptom with your dental provider to resolve wisdom teeth problems as soon as possible.
Read Also: What Antibiotics Are Good For Skin Infections
Infection In The Gums
As a wisdom tooth begins to erupt, wisdom teeth roots can often be awkwardly positioned, which causes only part of the tooth to emerge. When this happens, it can leave the gum tissue very susceptible to active infections. Even with a minuscule opening, food can easily get lodged in there, making it very difficult to remove, even with thorough brushing and flossing. This can escalate into a potentially serious infection known as pericoronitis if not detected and corrected immediately. This is the most serious sign to look out for when your wisdom teeth are coming in, so always consult with your dentist as soon as possible.
Overcrowded Or Crooked Teeth
Oftentimes, wisdom teeth begin to grow even though theres not enough room in the mouth for them. When the mouth is overcrowded, it can push teeth together, causing them to become crooked. Nothing can be done to make them all fit. Rather some, or all, of your wisdom teeth must be removed.
Before your wisdom teeth fully grow in, a dental professional can predict whether they will overcrowd your other teeth by looking at x-rays. This is just one example of why its important to make an appointment as soon as you notice your wisdom teeth coming in. If it gets to the point where your other teeth have become crooked, you may have to invest in some form of braces.
You May Like: Medication For Bladder Infection Over The Counter
What Are Impacted Wisdom Teeth
Wisdom teeth also called third molars are the last set of teeth that grow in. They usually erupt between the ages of 17 and 25. Sometimes, wisdom teeth erupt in alignment with your other teeth and dont cause any problems. Other times, they become either partially or fully trapped in your gums or jawbone. This is referred to as impaction. Impacted wisdom teeth can cause a variety of oral health problems, including cavities, gum disease and infection.
An Impacted Wisdom Tooth
Impaction happens when a persons 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 isnt 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 isnt 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.
Recommended Reading: Can Urgent Care Treat Urinary Tract Infection