Third molars can cause much pain and discomfort when they come in, but do you know what’s worse? A wisdom tooth infection! Although it can be hard to tell if you have an infected wisdom tooth, knowing the symptoms can help. Keep reading to learn the signs and see whether you have a wisdom tooth infection.
What are the Symptoms of an Infected Wisdom Tooth?
The telltale signs of a wisdom tooth infection might be similar to the indications of other conditions. Hence, your dentist can help to diagnose and treat the affected tooth. Here are a few infected wisdom tooth symptoms:
1. You’ll Have a Fever
When you have an infection, your body naturally responds with a fever. It could mean that your body is trying to fight off something, which could be the wisdom tooth infection in this case. Therefore, consult your dentist straight away if you have a fever and a wisdom tooth.
2. You’ll Experience Chills
Usually, chills occur with a fever. However, you could experience chills on their own too. You could have an infected wisdom tooth if you feel chilly when it’s warm outside, as it is one of the symptoms. Moreover, check your temperature if you have chills.
3. Your Jaw Hurts
With a wisdom tooth, pain in the jaw or sides of the face could occur if you have a dental infection. Not to forget, an impacted wisdom tooth can also cause facial pain. This is because wisdom teeth are located on the sides of our face, so that those areas would hurt due to the infection. You will need a wisdom tooth extraction in case of an impacted tooth.
4. You Have Toothache
If you have constant throbbing pain inside your wisdom tooth, it could indicate an infection. You may experience dull aching with constant or intense throbbing in your tooth. Throbbing toothache is one of the symptoms of an infected wisdom tooth. Even if you don’t have the infection, you should still visit the dentist to know the cause.
5. You Have Bad Breath or a Bad Taste in Your Mouth
Do you practice adequate oral care but still, the foul odor on your breath won’t go away? It could be because your tooth or gums are infected. Apart from this, a sudden bad or salty taste in the mouth could also hint at the presence of an infection. The salty or foul tasting liquid could mean that you have a dental abscess that just broke open. If this happens, don’t hesitate to visit your dentist right away.
6. Your Lymph Nodes are Swollen
The lymphatic system helps rid your body of cellular waste. Hence, they can become swollen or stiff when there’s an infection. Inflamed lymph nodes due to wisdom tooth infection may feel like hard lumps on your neck or jaw.
7. Your Teeth Feel Sensitive
Even though tooth sensitivity doesn’t necessarily indicate an infected wisdom tooth, it can be among the symptoms. If you have tooth sensitivity along with other symptoms, it’s time to visit the dentist.
8. Swollen, Painful, or Bleeding Gums
A wisdom tooth infection might spread to the gums. As a result, your gums might look red, swollen, and hurt to touch. A pus-filled tooth abscess could also be why they’re swollen.
Moreover, gums that easily bleed after you eat, brush, or touch them could signify an infection.
What to do?
When you notice the symptoms of an infected wisdom tooth and aren’t sure what to do, visit your dentist. You should never leave an infection untreated. Our Champions Dental team can help restore your oral health to normal. You can reach us at (281) 866-0442.