What to do with wisdom tooth infection?

[Fred20]

Im a university student and recently my wisdom teeth have began to come through my gum. It is causing me pain, tender gums and swollen gums around the wisdom teeth.

Last week i had trouble opening my mouth very wide and could not eat properly without taking pain killers. I went to see my GP, who gave me antibiotics for the wisdom tooth infection, but things aren't getting better.

Should i have wisdom tooth extraction, or will it get better by itself. How much will it cost as i am a student.

[Dr Ehsan J. Esfahani]

Hello Fred,

Thank you for your post.

Wisdom teeth erupt between the ages of 18 and 25 usually. It is common for the wisdom teeth coming through to be partially or completely impacted. The impaction can be soft tissue or hard tissue. An impacted wisdom tooth can cause wisdom tooth pain, swollen and tender gums and limited mouth opening. Bacteria and plaque develop at the site of the impacted wisdom tooth and cause infections. Antibiotics are prescribed to treat this infection however if the cause of the infection, the wisdom tooth is still there the infection can return. If you have developed more than one episode of wisdom tooth pain and infection over a short period, guidelines advise removal of the tooth provided the risks of removal do not outweigh the benefits.

The cost of wisdom tooth removal at Pearl will depend on the difficulty of the extraction. It is usually between £200-£300. We can offer you the best price after our dental surgeon has seen you for a consultation and assessed your case. Wisdom tooth consultations are free at Pearl and are available all weekday evenings and all day tuesday and thursdays.