What You Need to Know about Pericoronitis

Posted on 4/10/2016 by Renee Bancroft

A women suffering from pericoronitis causing her pain!

Do you still have your wisdom teeth? If so, you may be at risk of developing Pericoronitis. This is a low-grade infection that results if the wisdom teeth don't fully erupt and a part of the tooth is covered by a flap of the gums.

Unfortunately, this space is a great place for food, bacteria, and other debris to hide out and irritate the area, specifically with the wisdom teeth of the lower jaw. If your wisdom teeth haven't been removed, you'll want to know the signs of this infection and what you should do about it.

What Are the Signs of Pericoronitis?

There are several symptoms that may indicate this infection, including:

•	Bad breath
•	A bad taste in the mouth that doesn't go away
•	Pain around the back of your mouth near the wisdom teeth
•	Swelling found by the wisdom teeth, which could make it painful to bite down
•	Inability to open your mouth all the way

If you notice any of these symptoms, don't try to manage them on your own, and never place a warm compress onto your face to try and relieve your discomfort. Call your dentist right away.

What Can Be Done to Treat Pericoronitis?

Pericoronitis can be difficult to treat. The flap of tissue that is causing the problem is going to stay there until the tooth emerges all the way. Unfortunately, this isn't likely to happen, so you may need an oral surgeon to either extract the tooth or the flap.

Until then, your general dentist can help. He will likely clean the area thoroughly in order to remove any bacteria, pus, or damaged tissue. If an infection is present, which is usually the case, you'll also be given oral antibiotics.

The best way to prevent the problem from coming back is to clean the area well, but if the condition persists, please contact us right away.

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Northwest Implants and Specialized Dentistry - Dr. Hauck and Dr. Freun, 9911 N Nevada St, Spokane, WA, 99218 - Key Phrases: dental implants Spokane WA \ dental implants Spokane WA \ 509-467-5268 \ www.nwimplantsandsleep.com \ 3/18/2019

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