Do you have pain emanating from around one of your wisdom teeth? Are you experiencing inflammation or bleeding from the area? You may be experiencing pericoronitis, a common condition that affects millions of Americans each year. Below we’ll share some insight into pericoronitis including what it is, why it may affect you (especially if you have your wisdom teeth) and what to do if it does.
Pericoronitis is an inflammation of the tissues and gums around a tooth that has partially erupted through this area. With most individuals who have erupted wisdom teeth it is easy to see the gingival or ‘gums’ tissue wrapping around the tooth; in many people, this tissue does not adhere closely to the tooth but instead there is a small space or pocket where food particles and debris can collect. Once food or other material gets inside of this area, bacteria can start to accumulate and this leads to inflammation, swelling and pain ranging from minor to severe.
Below are a few of the common signs and symptoms of pericoronitis; if you experience this condition you may have some or all of these:
Pain – the pain associated with pericoronitis often begins as very minor but if left untreated can become incredibly severe, and may radiate away from the tooth area.
Redness and swelling – as pericoronitis is associated with a bacterial infection, it is generally accompanied by redness and local swelling, which can be very irritating as swollen gum tissue can make chewing difficult.
Bad breath and a bad taste – if the bacterial infection is serious, you may discover a foul taste or odor emanating from the infected area. This is due to the infection itself and is generally caused by bacteria releasing sulfur-based compounds.
Formation of pus – pus generally accompanies bacterial infections, although generally with ‘acute’ or short-lived pericoronitis that is treated promptly pus is kept to a minimum.
Pain – the pain associated with pericoronitis often begins as very minor but if left untreated can become incredibly severe, and may radiate away from the tooth area.
Redness and swelling – as pericoronitis is associated with a bacterial infection, it is generally accompanied by redness and local swelling, which can be very irritating as swollen gum tissue can make chewing difficult.
Bad breath and a bad taste – if the bacterial infection is serious, you may discover a foul taste or odor emanating from the infected area. This is due to the infection itself and is generally caused by bacteria releasing sulfur-based compounds.
Formation of pus – pus generally accompanies bacterial infections, although generally with ‘acute’ or short-lived pericoronitis that is treated promptly pus is kept to a minimum.
Most of the time, treatment of pericoronitis is very simple and involves removing whatever is causing the inflammation and infection in the area. For some individuals this means being more diligent about oral hygiene and cleaning the hard-to-reach areas at the back of the mouth; for others, they may need a quick surgical procedure to resect or remove some of the infected tissue. If the pericoronitis is chronically recurring or won’t seem to go away, your oral and maxillofacial surgeon may recommend a wisdom tooth extraction in order to deal with the problem once and for all.
If you’re dealing with swelling, redness, bleeding and/or pain around your wisdom teeth, you may have pericoronitis. The team here at Lorton Oral Surgery can offer you guidance and quickly explain how to get this resolved. Please contact our offices at your convenience and we will be happy to either book you in for an urgent appointment or recommend the next best course of action. Thanks for visiting!
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