Perocoronitis:When should one seek medical advice?

Wisdom tooth or the third molars do not always come into the mouth the way they should. In fact, sometimes, the tooth comes out partly while the rest of it remains under a flap of gum tissue. This happens most commonly with the lower wisdom teeth compared with the upper wisdom teeth. The flap is such that it is open to pieces of food getting trapped under it. When this happens, the gum swells and becomes irritated, leading to an infection called pericoronitis.

When should you visit the dentist?

The best time to visit the dentist is when you start experiencing any one of the symptoms of pericoronitis. The symptoms include the following:
•    Bad taste in the mouth, which often happen when there is an underlying infection that you have not got treatment for
•    Halitosis or bad breath
•    Swelling of gums behind the back teeth; this may make it difficult for you to bite down food without pinching the swollen gums present between the teeth
•    Pain in the area that surrounds the back of the teeth
•    Difficulty in opening the mouth all the way.

Try not using any compress on your face to soothe the pain. You may also swish warm water around the mouth to reduce the swelling, though doing this will not solve the problem.

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