Emergency Wisdom Tooth Removal: Symptoms and Procedure

Have you experienced pain in the back of your mouth recently? Your wisdom tooth is likely coming in. Wisdom teeth are the last to emerge at the back of the mouth, usually in the late teens or early 20s. While it’s normal to experience soreness and pain at the back of the mouth when a wisdom tooth erupts, sometimes these symptoms can indicate a problem.

For instance, you might not have enough room in the jaw, causing your tooth to get impacted, trapped below the gum line or erupt at the wrong angle. If you have pain, the dentist can recommend extracting it to alleviate your symptoms and prevent further complications.

Signs and symptoms your wisdom teeth need to be removed:

The symptoms below indicate that you have an impacted wisdom tooth, and you should visit our emergency dentist in North Canton, OH, as soon as possible.

• Intense pain at the back of the mouth

If you have severe or intense persistent pain in the teeth, gums, or jaw at the back of your mouth, chances are your tooth is impacted and requires extraction. When a wisdom tooth doesn’t have enough room to grow, it can cause significant pressure in the jaw and nearby teeth, resulting in mild to severe teeth and jaw pain. Tooth sensitivity at the back of the mouth might also damage nearby teeth. Either way, extraction is necessary to alleviate the pain and prevent infections and other complications.

• Loose or misaligned back teeth

Less jaw space can cause your wisdom teeth to grow awkwardly, pushing on the adjacent teeth. It can cause the teeth to shift out of position and, in severe cases, make them loose, crooked, crowded, and sometime damage the adjacent tooth, which can require both teeth to be removed.

• Infection around the wisdom tooth (pericoronitis)

An impacted wisdom tooth erupting at the wrong angle can cause severe pain and inflammation in the tissues around it. For instance, bacteria and food debris can get trapped in the spaces around teeth and gums that are hard to clean, causing an infection. Symptoms like mild to severe pain, gum or jaw swelling, bad breath, blisters, pus, and discoloration can accompany Pericoronitis.

If left untreated, pericoronitis infections can spread to the nearby teeth, gums, jawbone, eyes, nose, brain, and other body parts leading to dangerous health issues. Visit our emergency dentist near you if you notice white fluid, cyst, or pus in your mouth. We can address and eliminate your discomfort with an extraction or possibly by using our DEKA CO2 laser instead of extraction.

• Bleeding, sore, redness, discolored, or swollen gums

An impacted wisdom tooth increases your risk of bacterial plaque and tartar buildup at the back of your mouth. Bleeding, swollen, and inflamed gums can indicate gum infections. If not treated, gum infection can lead to severe gum damage, tooth loss, and bone loss if not treated.

Emergency Wisdom Tooth Removal

Fortunately, wisdom tooth removal is an outpatient procedure. The surgeon will examine your condition by taking 3-D X-rays (digital scans), then administer a computerized anesthetic to make the procedure painless and comfortable.
After removing the tooth, the dentist will clean and disinfect the area with a DEKA CO2 laser to promote healing and place a bone graft for ridge preservation when needed.

Once the anesthetic wears off, you may experience minor sensitivity, swelling, or discomfort around the extraction site. Here are some practical tips for caring for your mouth and promoting faster recovery after wisdom tooth removal:

• Take medication as prescribed, along with using AO Gel as directed to promote healing and soothe the area
• Wait until the anesthetic wears off completely to eat
• Avoid hard, crunchy, chewy, acidic, hot, and spicy items
• Maintain excellent oral hygiene without touching the surgical site for 2 or 3 weeks

Do not use a straw until sutures are removed

Learn more about emergency wisdom tooth extraction

Do you suspect your wisdom tooth is infected or impacted? Or would you like to explore more dentistry options for wisdom teeth oral surgery in Canton? Contact Danner Dental to book your appointment today.