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Third molar teeth or wisdom teeth are located on the upper and lower back side of the jaw and are the last teeth to arise in the oral cavity. It generally erupts between the age of 17 and 25.
Extraction of wisdom teeth is painful and often leads to infection. Therefore, if you wish to know more about wisdom teeth infection after removal and how to cure it effectively, keep reading the article for a more detailed insight into the subject.
A. Some Facts About Wisdom Teeth
Primitive age men were used to consuming fibrous foods. Wisdom teeth helped them to chew the rough and fibrous-rich food easily. But with time and changes in the diet, the use of wisdom teeth declined. This shift in the diet has lessened the role of wisdom teeth, which led to less or partial or no eruption of wisdom teeth. These partial or impacted wisdom teeth generally become the source of infection in the oral cavity1.
A Wisdom tooth getting stuck between one’s gums or without any ability to break down the gum and erupt into the mouth is an impacted tooth. Impacted wisdom teeth are more serious and prone to disease and tooth cavities.
Sometimes, the cavity on wisdom teeth can also be frequently observed by the dentist. It is possible to fill up the cavity side. However, that leads to the formation of rough creases or bumps that might trap food and microbes2.
B. Why Do Wisdom Teeth Cause Problems?
The probable reason for wisdom teeth causing problems is due to lack of spaces in the oral cavity. Other potential reasons can be the development of inverted wisdom teeth or the presence of a thick bone.
In most cases, impacted wisdom teeth do not cause serious problems for the patient. However, there are some painful situations where a patient feels pain and gum inflammation. Risk of tooth or teeth decay, spreading of infection to other teeth, bad breath, swelling, and bleeding are also common in these cases.
C. Facts About Surgery
The causes behind wisdom teeth infection after removal can lead a patient to go through some procedures. The patient needs local anesthesia to complete the procedure. The procedure can take between 20-30 minutes. The dentist could need to strip the tooth. Infection can occur at the site after two weeks or longer.
It is important to discuss with your dentist the reason behind the treatment. It could require some antibiotics3, and proper instructions can be given. Transparency between the doctor and patient is the key to successful surgery.
D. Symptoms of Wisdom Tooth Infection After Removal
In most cases, it becomes very important to get treated by the dentist because the causes behind wisdom teeth infection after removal must be taken seriously. If a person experiences any of the following symptoms, one may see a dentist.
- If the impacted wisdom tooth grows incorrectly, it will make flossing between the wisdom teeth and other teeth difficult.
- If the impacted wisdom teeth become partially erupted, it can lead to the trapping of food particles between the teeth and ultimately tooth decay in the mouth.
- Bacteria getting trapped between the gums leads to pain, infections, swelling in gums, and other dental problems.
- The patient may feel problems like stiffness in the jaw, less mouth opening, etc.
- Wisdom teeth require space to erupt and therefore lead to overall appearances of oral cavity structure becoming odd.
- Development of cyst cavity.
E. Causes Behind Wisdom Teeth Infection After Removal
Most children have molar teeth when they’re about 17 years old. Food and bacteria can get trapped between teeth and in the underlying tissue, which may cause a major concern.
A tooth infection or cavity can occur when an overgrowth of bacteria in the oral cavity takes place. This is generally one of the main causes of wisdom teeth infection after removal. In rare cases, the infection spreads to other parts of the body, and in some severe cases, the tooth can get infected.
Nerve damage and the occurrence of dry sockets are also common causes of wisdom teeth infection after removal.
Trigeminal nerve injury occurs after wisdom tooth surgical treatment and leads to swelling and irritation in the tongue, lower lip, chin, and teeth. However, it can only be permanent once a nerve is extremely damaged. A nerve injury can affect one’s daily life by making eating or drinking difficult.
On the other hand dry socket, also popularly known as alveolar osteitis, may cause pain or aches in patients’ gums. They are one of the other causes behind wisdom teeth infection after removal. It is the inflammation of the alveolar bone and occurs when the blood fails to clot or becomes lost and leaves the underlying bone exposed to the oral cavity.
F. What Should One Expect After Oral Surgery?
A patient might experience pain in the lips for two hours, or even maybe several hours after the dental surgery. The patient should not engage in any physical activity within 2 hours following the surgery. Resting properly and putting the patient’s head in proper positions will reduce the swelling and bleeding.
It should also be acknowledged here that patients should follow all the aftercare recommended religiously.
G. How to Prevent an Infection After Oral Surgery?
The most basic prevention method is to follow the instructions from the dentist. The swelling can be reduced with ice packs used intermittently for 24 hours after surgery. After this period gentle gargling with warm salt water is also helpful and can be done. The treatment reduces bacteria present in the mouth and prevents infection.
If a patient or another person is experiencing symptoms following an oral surgical procedure, the dentist should be contacted immediately.
Infections caused by wisdom teeth can be treated but can keep coming back. People with health issues, particularly with low immune systems, can sometimes experience severe complications related to these infections.
After wisdom tooth extraction, make sure to clear up the schedule and take enough time to get some rest.
Avoid heavy physical activities that increase your heart rate rapidly, and try to indulge in cold food that will help constrict the blood vessels and encourage blood clots at the extraction site.
Antibiotics are also generally prescribed to patients to heal wisdom teeth infections. However, even upon consuming painkillers, if the pain does not subside, one should immediately consult the dentist.
All the causes behind wisdom teeth infection after removal are curable, and the sooner a large blood clot4 is formed, the stronger odds of avoiding wisdom teeth removal infection.
Now there you go. Hopefully, our article was able to shed some light on wisdom teeth infection after removal. Wisdom teeth infection after removal is a common occurrence and can be easily treated as well. However, it is important to acknowledge that upon the observance of any symptoms of infection, the dentist should be contacted immediately as proper treatment is required to ameliorate the situation, and negligence on the part of patients can sometimes lead to grave after-effects.
Proofreaded by:
Dr. Foram Bhuta
Dentist (B.D.S)
- Kitamoto, S., et al. “The bacterial connection between the oral cavity and the gut diseases.” Journal of dental research 99.9 (2020): 1021-1029. ↩︎
- Nosheen, Shaista, Iqra Ajmal, and Yuanda Song. “Microbes as biofertilizers, a potential approach for sustainable crop production.” Sustainability 13.4 (2021): 1868. ↩︎
- Cook, Michael A., and Gerard D. Wright. “The past, present, and future of antibiotics.” Science Translational Medicine 14.657 (2022): eabo7793. ↩︎
- Tutwiler, Valerie, et al. “Rupture of blood clots: Mechanics and pathophysiology.” Science advances 6.35 (2020): eabc0496. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Suchi
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