Dental emergencies are often serious and can cause a great deal of pain and expense. Such emergencies arise when there is sudden oral damage which causes pain and limits oral activities such as talking and eating. The likes of broken teeth, tooth loss, oral abscesses, ulcers, bleeding gums, inflamed dental pulp and infected wisdom teeth all qualify as dental emergencies. You should keep an eye out for swelling, oral pain and bleeding as these are all symptoms of dental damage and may require emergency treatment. As the mouth is neurologically connected to the body, it’s wise to get the problem sorted sooner rather and later before it has the chance to develop into something even more serious.
Causes of Infected Wisdom Teeth
One of the most serious dental emergencies is infected wisdom teeth. One cause of this is tooth decay. Tooth decay can be prevented with regular trips to the dentist (twice a year is the recommended amount), avoiding alcohol and smoking and limiting your sugary food and drink intake. Gum disease can be another cause; this is a build-up of plaque and can be prevented by brushing your teeth twice a day for two-minutes at a time.
Another cause of an infected wisdom tooth is cellulitis, a bacterial infection in the cheek, tongue or throat. This is an infection that is possible on any part of your body and should always be treated immediately. Like gum disease, pericoronitis is caused by plaque but in this instance, where plaque causes an infection of the soft tissue that encases the tooth.
In very rare cases, cysts and benign growths may occur when the wisdom tooth hasn’t cut through properly causing the gum to develop a cyst. Abscesses are another suspect for causing infected wisdom teeth. Here, a collection of pus in the tooth builds up because of a bacterial infection. Regular brushing can help to eradicate each of those problems and if you are suffering from oral pain, head to your dentist as soon as possible.
Symptoms of Infected Wisdom Teeth
Solving the problem of an infected wisdom tooth is a lot easier when you know what to look for. Signs of an infected wisdom tooth can involve several things including red and inflamed gums near to the tooth. The surrounding area of the tooth may also swell as well as the lymph nodes found underneath the jaw.
Pus coming from the gum may also be an indicator. If you suffer from bad breath but can’t think why, an infected wisdom tooth may be the cause. In addition to pain from the mouth area, if you think you have a fever or you are finding it difficult to open your mouth or swallow and feel somewhat weak, you should book a dental appointment immediately.
