Can You Remove A Wisdom Tooth When It's Infected? | How To Relieve Wisdom Tooth Pain

1. Can wisdom teeth be extracted if they are inflamed?

Generally, it is not recommended to extract them immediately during acute inflammation (especially when there is severe swelling, fever, and difficulty opening the mouth), because there are a large number of bacteria in the local area at this time, and tooth extraction can easily cause the spread of infection and cause more serious problems, such as cellulitis (quite dangerous).

The usual practice is:

• Control inflammation first (take anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, local care)

• Wait until the inflammation is relieved (usually within a few days to one or two weeks), then arrange extraction.

2. How to relieve wisdom tooth inflammation?

Short-term relief method:

• Rinse your mouth with salt water: Rinse your mouth frequently with warm salt water (1 cup of water + 1 teaspoon of salt) to reduce local bacteria.

• Cold compress: Apply an ice pack to the outside of your cheek for 20 minutes each time to reduce swelling and pain.

• Take anti-inflammatory drugs (such as metronidazole) + painkillers (such as ibuprofen), but it is good to take them under the guidance of a doctor.

• Keep your mouth clean: Be careful when brushing your teeth and do not over-stimulate the inflamed area.

• Talk less, chew less, and eat a light diet.

3. How to judge whether wisdom teeth need to be extracted? (Even if no X-ray is taken)

Although the most accurate is dental X-ray (panoramic X-ray, CBCT), you can roughly judge by the following feelings:

Signs of needing extraction:

• Repeated swelling and pain: For example, inflammation more than 1-2 times a year.

• Severe radiating pain: pain in the ears, throat, and submandibular, and even causing difficulty in opening the mouth.

• Malposition: When you open your mouth and look in the mirror, you can see that wisdom teeth grow horizontally and come out diagonally.

• Local food is always stuck and cannot be brushed: It is easy to cause caries and periodontitis.

• Pushing the front teeth: Feeling that the front teeth are pushed and painful, or the gap between teeth becomes larger.

Situations where extraction is temporarily not necessary:

• Wisdom teeth are fully grown, the bite is normal, easy to clean, no inflammation, no caries.

• There are almost no problems from childhood to adulthood.

Note: Even if there is no problem for the time being, some wisdom teeth may have problems in the future, so regular physical examinations are still very important.

4. What methods can be used to relieve pain caused by inflammation of wisdom teeth?

Here is a set of emergency operations:

Method Description

Salt water gargle Rinse your mouth with warm salt water every time you eat.

Cold compress cheek Ice for 20 minutes, rest for 20 minutes and then ice again.

Ibuprofen for pain relief once every 6 hours, but do not exceed the dosage.

Local application of pain relief gel (such as toothache gel) can be bought in supermarkets and pharmacies.

Keep your head high Use more pillows when sleeping to reduce blood reflux and relieve swelling.

Avoid hot compresses, hot water, and spicy foods. Heat will aggravate swelling.

5. How to determine whether it is a semi-impacted wisdom tooth?

What is a semi-impacted wisdom tooth?

• It means that only part of the tooth is exposed, and the other part is still covered by the gums.

• It looks like the teeth are "poking out" from the gums, but they haven't grown out completely.

How to observe it yourself?

Step 1: Look in the mirror

• Find a place with brighter light.

• Open your mouth wide and use a small mirror (or the front camera of your phone) to observe the back teeth.

• See if there is a small bulge on the gums, and a little tooth is exposed next to it, but not the whole tooth.

Step 2: Feel it with your tongue

• Extend your tongue near the back teeth.

• If you feel a soft piece of gum with a hard small part on it, it is half-buried.

Step 3: Feel if there are these symptoms

• The half-exposed area is easy to get stuck with food residues.

• The gums are swollen, red, and painful when pressed.

• When eating or brushing teeth, it is easy to accidentally irritate there, causing pain.

• Sometimes the mouth is not open very wide, and the lower jaw feels tight.

Summary of common characteristics of semi-impinged wisdom teeth

Characteristics Is it present?

Only part of the wisdom tooth is exposed ✅ / ❌

Redness and tenderness of the surrounding gums ✅ / ❌

Frequent food stuck and bad breath ✅ / ❌

Accompanied by malocclusion or biting the inside of the cheek ✅ / ❌

Difficulty opening the mouth or soreness when swallowing ✅ / ❌

If there are more ✅, it is very likely that it is a semi-impinged wisdom tooth!

Why are semi-impinged wisdom teeth prone to inflammation?

Because the gums cover part of the teeth, forming a small gap, food and bacteria can easily enter, but it is difficult to brush thoroughly, so it is particularly prone to repeated inflammation (called pericoronitis).

So if it is a semi-impinged wisdom tooth, the doctor will generally recommend that it be removed after the inflammation is controlled to prevent more serious infection in the future.