01. Swelling of the gum in the back of your mouth.

02. Difficulty opening your jaw.

03. Bad breath.

04. A bad taste in the mouth.

05. Pain when you open your mouth.

06. Pain when chewing or biting.

07. Repeated cheek biting.

Pain can occur for several days and then disappear. It can come back weeks or months later.

Dental X-rays are very  helpful in diagnosing an impacted tooth.

Treatment:

You can sometimes relieve minor irritation by rinsing with warm salt water (1/2 teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of water). Over-the-counter pain relievers also may help. If the tooth continues to cause pain, is infected or interferes with nearby teeth, the usual treatment is to take it out.

At Dr Pradnya’s Perfect Smile Dental Clinic, special precautions are taken to ensure that the removal of wisdom tooth is a painless procedure. This usually lasts for 30 minutes. Our surgeon will perform a painless surgery under local anesthesia, and some simple post-operative instructions are given to you. After the surgery, you may have slight swelling of the cheeks and jaw. Hard foods are best avoided.

Prophylactic Wisdom tooth removal:

We also undertake prophylactic removal of wisdom teeth. This surgery is done before the teeth have started coming in. This prevents future problems. The procedure is usually the same, except that the discomfort is even lesser. Often, it is better to have your wisdom teeth taken out before you turn 21. The surgery usually is less complicated. The tissue and bone also heal better.

POSTOPERATIVE CARE:

01. Bite firmly on the cotton wool pack provided for 10-20 minutes·

02. If bleeding reoccurs later, use a spare cotton pack or roll up a handkerchief and bite hard in the area of the extraction. Sit down quietly and wait for bleeding to stop·

03. Avoid alcohol, smoking and physical exercise for 24 hours as this may increase the chances of infection or more bleeding·

04. Avoid rinsing the area for 24 hours as this may lead to loss of the blood clot from the tooth socket (which aids healing) and increases the risk of infection·

05. 24 hours after the extraction, rinse your mouth with warm salt water up to four times a day, for a week. This again will reduce the chances of infection·

06. If you require painkillers e.g. ibuprofen, paracetamol, you may find if you take them before the anesthetic wears off, the symptoms will be less severe·

07. For some procedures it can be normal to have some degree of swelling and bruising after the extraction. Anti-inflammatory drugs can reduce these symptoms.

Following extraction the tooth socket will heal and change shape until it becomes smooth over a period of 3-6 months · If symptoms persist for several days after extraction, please contact the office.

The post Symptoms of an Infected or Inflamed Impacted Tooth appeared first on Dr. Pradnya Rivankar - Perfect Smile Dental Clinic in Caranzalem, Goa.