Inflammation of the wisdom tooth
introduction
The wisdom teeth in our dentition are a relic from the Stone Age. Nowadays, they are more known as problem-makers, as they are often not placed correctly in the jaw and can thus trigger inflammation with severe pain after the breakthrough has started.
Inflammation of the wisdom tooth also occurs with poor oral hygiene and, if left untreated, can cause severe pain. The only remaining treatment option is often to go to the dentist, who will surgically remove the wisdom teeth.
Read more on the topic: Discomfort on the wisdom tooth
Symptoms - an overview
Everyone normally has one wisdom tooth in each quadrant, so four in total. They either break through completely, only partially or remain in the bone for a lifetime and never cause problems. Located far back in the mouth, cleaning them is usually difficult and is often neglected. The tooth becomes carious and the surrounding tissue can become inflamed. The inflammation is shown by:
- reddened gums around the wisdom tooth
- Pus formation under the crown of the wisdom tooth
- Pain and swelling in the back of the mouth and possibly in the face and jaw
- Pocket formation
- strong bad breath due to pus formation
- Fever (if the inflammation is advanced)
- limited chewing function
- Pain when brushing your teeth
Read more on the topic: Swelling in the mouth
Symptoms in detail
Inflamed gums
Wisdom teeth are often no longer created in human dentition because they are no longer needed in evolutionary terms. Since the jaws have become smaller, the wisdom teeth often interfere, only half or not at all, and can then create foci of inflammation.
The so-called Dentitio difficilis describes the difficult eruption of the wisdom teeth, in which these are often still partially covered by a mucous membrane. The mucous membrane forms a niche for dirt and food scraps that can hardly be cleaned independently. The gums become inflamed and painful. The wisdom tooth constantly presses on the mucous membrane and thus creates pressure pain.
The patient should visit the dentist as soon as possible, as mechanical cleaning or household remedies cannot cure the inflammation. If the inflammatory cells are not removed, there is a risk of a clamp, an abscess on the tooth, or a cyst. The dentist rinses the gum pocket with antibacterial solutions and usually pulls the wisdom tooth under an antibiotic cover after the inflammation has healed, otherwise there is a risk that the symptoms will recur.
Read more on the topic:
- Wisdom tooth pain
- What helps with inflammation of the gums?
Inflammation with pus formation
If the wisdom tooth is inflamed, pus can accumulate in the tooth pocket. This pus build-up spreads over time and forms an abscess. This should not be trifled with, as this inflammation can quickly spread towards the organs. The heart and brain are particularly at risk, as the pus spreads along the muscles and the organs are very close to the jaws. Since a loss of function of these vital organs can take place if the inflammation spreads, a doctor should be consulted and the appropriate therapy initiated!
Read more on the subject at: Pus in the jaw
Inflammation with pocket formation
Tooth pockets are indentations between the tooth and gums. They are caused, for example, by periodontal disease. Periodontal disease describes an inflammation or destruction of the tooth support system.
Very often, however, they also occur when the wisdom tooth erupts on the back surface of the tooth in front of it. Since food residues can settle there, which are very difficult to remove, bacteria can accumulate more often. This causes inflammation of this gingival pocket. The gums redden and swell.
For acute treatment, the bag must be cleaned with hand instruments and rinsed with a disinfecting solution. The dentist then applies an ointment to accelerate the healing process. A lasting effect is usually only achieved by removing the wisdom tooth, as the pocket is then removed.
You might also be interested in this:
- Discomfort on the wisdom tooth
- Periodontal Treatment
Symptoms of wisdom tooth inflammation after surgery
If the wound becomes infected where a wisdom tooth has been removed, this can be very uncomfortable. At first the wound is reddened and there is a slight sting, especially when liquids, food or the tongue touch this area. If this condition lasts longer, this process can also be recognized from the outside.
At the beginning, the wound turns red, the cheek slowly swells and sometimes the cheek also turns red.
Usually this process is accompanied by general symptoms. You feel very weak and tired, and fever can occur. If you do not take enough care of yourself and antibiotics are not taken, pus can form and an abscess can develop.
The more pus that is produced, the greater the swelling will be. If the upper wisdom tooth is affected, the eye can be so badly affected that it can no longer be opened. If a lower wisdom tooth becomes infected, the cheek or the region under the tongue swells. Under certain circumstances, the tongue is pressed up so strongly that it causes shortness of breath. Since this is extremely dangerous, a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible.
Read more on the topic:
- Inflammation after a wisdom tooth operation
- thick jaw
treatment
If you experience the above symptoms, it is advisable to see a dentist, especially if you are in severe pain. Not all of these cases have to be a wisdom tooth infection, but if this is the case, the dentist will examine the affected area and take an X-ray. The spread of the inflammation is analyzed, the position of the tooth in the jawbone is assessed and an extraction (removal) of the tooth is weighed.
It is common practice nowadays that the wisdom teeth are often removed very early, even if they do not cause any problems, in order to avoid future dangers. However, depending on the case and the treatment situation, this should be carefully considered, as it is a medical procedure that also involves risks.
Antibiotics can be administered, but only if the cause of the development can be eliminated. However, if the tooth is not worth preserving because it is too badly damaged by caries, taking such a drug would not do much and the tooth has to be extracted. A preoperative treatment with antibiotics should only be aimed for in certain situations (weakened immune defense). If a tooth pocket has been created, it can be cleaned by the dentist and closed again after the tooth has completely erupted. If there are no space problems in this case, the tooth can be preserved and offers e.g. a good bridge anchor.
If an abscess has already formed, it is opened and emptied, which causes a sudden decrease in pain. With this procedure you have relieved the pressure and the surrounding tissue or nerves are no longer stressed. If, however, an extraction is unavoidable, due to a malposition, among other things, a surgical procedure is prepared. Depending on the case, this can vary in complexity and time. If the tooth has completely erupted, removal is usually a little easier. A conduction anesthesia is often sufficient; a short anesthesia is also possible at the request of the patient or if necessary.
The pain will decrease over the course of the following week after surgery until it completely disappears. Sometimes an antibiotic is prescribed after the extraction if the area around the removed tooth was severely inflamed. As a complication after the operation, the bone compartment can become inflamed, wound healing disorders occur in the tooth, infections develop or tissue death can occur.
In the lower jaw, the nerve can be severed or damaged during the operation, as the roots of the wisdom tooth often extend to the nerve canal. However, this happens less than 1% of the time. Later numbness of the affected lower lip side, which can be temporary or permanent, are the consequences.
If all four wisdom teeth have to be removed, this is usually done in two separate procedures.
Read more on the topic:
- Operation on the wisdom tooth
- Local anesthesia at the dentist
- Wisdom tooth pulling under general anesthesia - when does it make sense?
When do you have to start taking antibiotics?
Antibiotics should only be prescribed in exceptional cases when they are really necessary. Taking it too often will result in the antibiotic no longer working. Slight signs of inflammation alone are no reason to prescribe them, as pain relievers such as ibuprofen can also help here. This is due to the anti-inflammatory effects of the drug.
Read more on the topic: Ibuprofen for toothache
An antibiotic should only be taken when the signs get worse and worse, with redness or swelling added to the pain. In each individual case, however, the treating dentist must decide and initiate the correct treatment measure. In no case should you rush to take a drug yourself without having obtained an expert opinion. The risks would be too high here.
Do home remedies help with an inflamed wisdom tooth?
There are many home remedies for inflammation. Cooling the sore cheek with a cold pack is very simple here. The vessels contract and the pain is relieved. It is important to take cooling breaks and not to cool for longer than 10-15 minutes at a time. The breaks should be as long as the cooling phases.
Rinsing with strong chamomile tea is another good method to treat inflammation in a supportive manner, as chamomile tea has an antibacterial effect. Cloves are said to have similar effects, although these are also supposed to relieve pain. For this, clove oil can be dripped onto the affected area or 2-3 cloves can be chewed.
Garlic has anti-inflammatory properties. To unfold it, a toe must be chewed or squashed against the sore tooth. Onion has an antiseptic effect if you chew on a raw slice for about 5 minutes. Furthermore, there is an antimicrobial and an antibacterial effect. Therefore, pain is relieved and the germs that cause it are killed. Finally, sage should be mentioned. An anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effect unfolds when rinsing with strong tea, which should be done several times a day.
Read more on the topic: Home remedies for toothache
After the procedure
To avoid secondary bleeding, sport and strenuous physical activity should be avoided. An elevated sleeping position is also beneficial for recovery. Hot drinks (e.g. coffee) and alcohol should be avoided, as should smoking. Dental care can continue as normal, but the wound should be left out. The attending physician usually prescribes painkillers to make the healing process more pleasant. The pain reliever should not contain acetylsalicylic acid (e.g. aspirin), as this increases the risk of bleeding. A chilled, damp cloth can also have a pleasant effect, but not ice cubes. If you take anticoagulant drugs, you have to switch to low-molecular heparin preparations for a short time.
More information can be found here: Inflammation after a wisdom tooth operation
Inflammation of the scar
In some cases it can happen that old scars hurt again after a while. Purulent inflammation has also been reported. This is not uncommon and also not necessarily unusual. That can be a Root residue, which was forgotten when pulling the wisdom tooth in the tooth socket. Usually this should be removed, but sometimes it is not noticeable. If the scar becomes inflamed, this should be clarified by the dentist as soon as possible.
How long does wisdom tooth inflammation last?
Without further diagnostics, no precise information can be given about the duration of the inflammation. It depends on the intensity, the immune system of the person concerned and also of the Cause of inflammation. If the gums are inflamed when the tooth erupts, the pain is often limited, which means that the inflammation persists for a relatively long time, sometimes for weeks. A dentist is usually only consulted in the event of severe pain in an extreme emergency. The pain often only gets worse after a while.
A dentist can give special ointments to help reduce inflammation. However, the tooth must be removed in order to achieve sustained pain relief with the cause being eliminated. If he himself is impaired in terms of root inflammation, a root canal treatment can be carried out. In most cases, this leads to a reduction in inflammation after just one treatment.
causes
Since the wisdom tooth is the last to break through, there is usually no more space for it, so that the rest of the teeth can be misaligned. But the tooth itself can also be stored routinely and cause complications due to its misalignment.
Each of these possibilities causes problems for the patient and is usually associated with painful inflammation that can only be remedied by removing the tooth.
In most cases, inflammation occurs when the wisdom teeth have only partially erupted. It is so easy for the bacteria to pass unnoticed through the gums into the tooth pockets and spread there. The tooth pocket becomes inflamed, the first symptoms of pain appear and the gums begin to swell. The effects of pressure on this area are very uncomfortable. If it is left untreated, a collection of pus develops, which can penetrate into the surrounding tissue. In the worst case, an abscess can develop. An abscess is an encapsulated cavity filled with pus.
Read more on the topic: Abscess on the tooth and abscess in the lower jaw
In addition, there is an unpleasant taste and the mouth opening is restricted. Because the 8s are very far back, they have a close relationship with the temporomandibular joint and prevent the maximum opening of the mouth when inflamed. In some situations it can happen that the second molar, i.e. the 7th, hurts because the wisdom tooth is pressing on it due to an unfavorable position.
The severe pain can usually not be relieved with common painkillers and a visit to the dentist is inevitable.
Another reason for wisdom tooth inflammation may be the fracture. When a piece of the wisdom tooth breaks off, the dentinal canals are often exposed and the tooth nerve becomes irritated and painful. If the hernia reaches the pulp directly, it becomes infected with the bacteria from the oral cavity. This so-called tooth pulp inflammation can then spread to the tip of the root and into the surrounding tissue.
Find out more at: Broken wisdom tooth
In addition to pulsating pain, other signs of wisdom teething can include uncomfortable pressure in the corner of the jaw, headache, bleeding gums, swollen cheek, sensation of a foreign body under the gums, difficulty swallowing and facial pain.
Special situations
Wisdom tooth inflammation in pregnancy
During pregnancy, all tissues become softer, so that loopholes for bacteria also arise in the oral cavity, which in a simplified manner trigger inflammation. Therefore, the dentists advise to have problematic and unfavorably positioned wisdom teeth removed before pregnancy, otherwise inflammation can develop in these areas due to the hormonal change.
If inflammation does occur, it must be decided whether the wisdom teeth are removed during pregnancy, as this is associated with anesthesia, possibly an antibiotic cover, as well as stress for the mother and the unborn child. The most stable phase for dental interventions is the second trimester, when such an intervention can take place with the least risk.
In general, it is advisable to complete all dental interventions before a planned pregnancy, including the removal of awkward wisdom teeth.
You might also be interested in: Toothache During Pregnancy
Jaw clamp in a wisdom tooth infection
A jaw clamp describes a blockage of the normal opening of the mouth. This clamp can be caused by an inflamed wisdom tooth, as the inflammatory cells tend to spread and take on cystic shapes. Since every inflammatory reaction is accompanied by swelling, there may be a lack of space at the angle of the jaw.
This particularly hinders the chewing muscles. Of the Lateral pterygoid muscle, which is the only masseter responsible for opening the mouth, is pressed in by the inflammation and can no longer fully develop its effect, which can result in a restricted mouth opening or a complete jaw clamp.
The clamp disappears when the focus of inflammation and swelling is gone.
Find out more at: Jaw clamp
Inflammation sits behind the wisdom tooth
An inflammation that exists directly behind the wisdom teeth is usually due to insufficient space for the wisdom teeth. Because the tooth cannot break straight through because there is no space, it tilts forward and only partially breaks through. The mucous membrane forms a hood and thus offers a loophole for bacteria and leftover food.
Furthermore, in such a position, the wisdom teeth can press on the front teeth and move them. This results in pain of a print quality and also due to the bacterial inflammation.
If the patient does not visit the dentist promptly, there is a risk that the inflammatory cells will penetrate the bone and create a cyst or abscess. A cyst is a cavity lined with epithelial cells that was previously absent. This cavity is filled with fluid and sometimes with dead epithelial cells. Therapeutically, the pus from the abscess must be drained and the cyst removed from the bone together with the wisdom tooth.
Summary
An inflamed wisdom tooth is a very uncomfortable and painful affair that can quickly get through the Seeking a specialist must be treated in order to prevent worse consequences that endanger the entire organism. The attending physician can decide whether an operation makes sense or whether the 8 series can perhaps still be used later.
In most cases, pain relief and inflammation subside quickly.
