Signs & SymptomsWISDOM TEETH / THIRD MOLARS |
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Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the final teeth to develop. Most of us have four wisdom teeth, one in each corner of the mouth. It is the tooth furthest back from the front. Wisdom teeth usually erupt, or try to erupt, during the late teens or early twenties. When wisdom teeth are trapped due to space insufficiency or angle of eruption, they become a problem. Unerupted wisdom teeth can cause localized tooth decay, infection, and gum disease. Most likely the wisdom tooth will cause a localized infection called " percorinitis" The infection is not only around the tooth and gums but can spread into the deeper tissues of the face and jaw resulting in: facial swelling, difficulty in opening, fever, sore throat, and nausea. Treatment consists of immediate antibiotics, something to reduce fever if present, and a follow up appoints with a dentist or oral surgeon for extraction. Interim management may consist of: salt water rinses (1-teas of salt in 8 oz of luke warm water), rinse also with an mouth rinse such as " Listerine", pain and fever control with ibuprofen (if able to take). Unerupted wisdom tooth that are impacted in the jaw bone, although they have no symptoms, ought to be monitored on a regular basis since about .1% of these can develop a cyst or become malignant.
©1998, Jeffrey Kohlhardt DDS, 1204 Cottonwood Street, Suite 4
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27. WISDOM TEETH / THIRD MOLARS