Pericoronitis

The wisdom teeth are the last molars on each side of the upper and lower jaws. They are also the final teeth to erupt; they usually appear when a person is in their late teens or early twenties.

Sometimes, a tooth comes in part of the way and a flap of gum tissue covers part of the tooth. This happens more often with the lower wisdom teeth than with the upper ones. Bacteria and pieces of food can get trapped under this flap. The gum may swell and become irritated. This is an infection called pericoronitis.

Pericoronitis has several symptoms. The intensity of symptoms varies based on how severe the infection is, it may include:

• Pain in the area around your back teeth
• A bad taste in the mouth
• Halitosis
• Swelling of the gums behind your back teeth
• Limitation of the mouth opening

The pericoronitis won’t go away until:

• The flap of tissue is removed, or
• The wisdom tooth is removed, or
• The wisdom tooth comes into your mouth the rest of the way

It’s possible for the infection to spread to other areas, such as the lymph nodes. If the infection has spread, symptoms can include swollen glands, fever and a general feeling of malaise.

When a patient arrives to our practice with a painful pericoronitis, the dentist will examine and localise the origin of the pain, usually an irrigation of the underside of the flap will help to remove debris, or pus , using chlorhexidine or an oxygen-releasing solution , you may also be given antibiotics to fight infection.