Treatment
Wisdom Tooth Infection
Swelling, a bad taste, or a jaw that will not open fully around a wisdom tooth needs to be seen quickly.
Usually pericoronitis, an infection of the gum flap over a partly erupted wisdom tooth. Bacteria and food get trapped underneath in a space that cannot be cleaned.
We clean and irrigate under the flap, and prescribe antibiotics if the infection has spread into the surrounding tissue. Once it has settled, we deal with the tooth itself.
It clears the immediate infection, then removes the reason it happened. Treating the flare-up and leaving the tooth means you will be back with the same problem.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about wisdom tooth infection.
Anyone with swelling, throbbing, or a foul taste at the back of the jaw, especially if it has happened before. Call the same day rather than waiting to see if it settles.
The first visit is about relief, not the extraction. Cleaning under an inflamed flap is uncomfortable but brief, and antibiotics usually improve things within a day or two.
Thirty minutes for the urgent visit. Removal is scheduled once the infection has calmed, generally one to two weeks later.
Spreading swelling, fever, or difficulty swallowing or breathing means the emergency room, not a dental appointment. Infection in this area can move fast and it is not something to wait on.
Warm salt water rinses and finishing the whole antibiotic course. Feeling better is not the same as being clear, and the tooth still needs dealing with.
Come and see us
We would love to meet you
Call the office or ask for a time online. We will come back to you within a business day, and tell you what it costs first.