Wisdom teeth

[solatido]

So I have pericoronitis, an infection of the gum around my wisdom teeth. It can be nasty, I got my abx just as my whole body was starting to get flu-like symptoms not a moment too soon! Fortunately they work fast and have improved things, at this rate the pain will be gone by tomorrow.

Of course, my dentist wants me to have them ALL taken out like next week before the abx are out of my system. (oh, and this was on top of finding a benign cyst on my breast last week- it all comes at once).

First of all, he's the type who doesn't think they should EVER be left alone. Second, $$$$$. Third, who has time for surgery??? Plus I've read that while recurrent gum infections are an indication for removal, one infection is not. So I'm seeking a second opinion.

Anyone else kept their teeth? Even with an infection? I'm thinking I'll invest in a little irrigating device to keep things clean. I really have been bad about brushing and flossing at night since I tend to drift off when the baby does but am I crazy to consider improving my habits and holding off on the butchery?

[WanderingJuniper]

Would oral surgery be involved? I just had a wisdom tooth removed. It was done in the office n the same day. I have all my other wisdom teeth. I just had some work done on one today. I prefer to keep any teeth I have because genetically I am missing incisors so I'd rather not reduce the number left unnecessarily. However, I do not have any issues with my gums.aybe that changes things.

[JoannaV]

I'm English. I have my wisdom teeth. I am younger than you (well assuming that from your sig, assuming you didn't marry at 17), but I know other people with their wisdom teeth. My dad, he's retired and has his wisdom teeth.

Working on improving habits first makes sense. It's not like you had a problem despite perfect habits. I totally relate to the trouble with having the best dental hygiene once kids come along!

[OnAMission]

I would definitely go for a second opinion. My dad is an oral surgeon. While he would potentially suggest removing a tooth that had an infection (but after only one infection, he might not), he believes in only removing wisdom teeth that are causing problems after age 25. The recovery is harder, so only worth the surgery if it is truly causing problems.

[mamacat]

That is good to know bout the age 25+ idea. Also wanted to share that I have used coconut oil for healing a samll abcess and keeping any infection from occurring until I can have a broken tooth taken care of

[solatido]

Yes, I am in my early thirties so it isn't going to be a cakewalk. I think some surgery would be involved on the side where they haven't erupted. That is a good idea to try CO. I have been using salt water and yesterday the dentist said I could put Listerine right on it. Is unrefined CO the stuff to use?

[Little Forest]

Yes to a second opinion!
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[graciousmomma]

My dh recently had two wisdom teeth removed, but that was because one was completely impacted, and the other was partially impacted, and was infected - but they didn't notice the infection until extraction. The oral surgeon would only remove the ones that absolutely needed it. Dh still has two wisdom teeth left that are not causing problems.

[Aerynne]

I would ask my dentist "Would you give me the same advice if this were a front tooth?" and "What would you do differently if this were a front tooth?" and see if that helps you decide.

[ReedleBeetle]

I am in recovery from having all 4 removed this past Thursday. I have had recurrent bouts of pericoronitis in my lower ones due to being partially erupted. I am 38. The last bout sent me to the ER. Talk to me in a couple of weeks and I will let you know if I am glad I had this done. Right now it hurts.

[solatido]

Ouch! It is frightening how such a small area of infection can spread so fast! It is serious business. If I get it again I am going to have less doubt about removing them . I hope you feel better soon!

ETA- why have I stayed away from here so long, I have missed the good advice I can get here!! life with three kids is busy though.

[mamacat]

Yes the unrefined coconut oil and after the abcess began brushing with it every day and it has kept it pain and infection free

[MariJo7]

Have you tried Tea Tree oil? In desinfects and it also numbs a little. Do not swallow, it is poisnous if ingested.

I have used it for infected and painful gums. One drop on a soft toothbrush and then try to gently apply to the hurting spot.

I once had a dentist a few years ago who wanted to pull out a wisdom tooth because it did not grow "right". It was - and it still is - partly covered by the gum. He wanted to pull it out because "it might get infected".
So...I went to the appointment. He applied the local, not only to the wistom tooth he intended to remove (left, under) but also to the other wisdom tooth that was growin left above. "What are you doing?" I asked. "We are going to remove the other one also" He replied. "There is no use to leave it after the one under is gone."

I was kind of indignated. Another dentist had filled a cavity in that wisdom tooth just a year ago and there was no problem with it. I told him I did not want that tooth to be removed, and all grumblingly, he consented to leave it alone. OK, fine...

When he started to pull the under tooth the local did not work properly. So I yelled like an animal: "No, No, this is not going to happen!" I had reacted before it really did hurt, which was a good thing. The dentist stopped. "If my local does not work there is nothing we can do here. I will send you through to the hospital for dental surgery" he said sourly.

Deedles to say, I will never, ever go to that dentis again!

At he hospital I talked with the dental surgeon who told it was not absolutely necessary to remove the tooth if I just kept it very, very clean. He warned me that IF it got infected it would really, really hurt. So I try to keep it clean. It has not been infected yet .

I have had a pericoronitis but at another place. It was a molar with a large filling that partly reached under the gum. It was soooooo painful. I could not eat for many, many days.
And when I got to the dentist's office, his first idea was that I needed a root canal!!! He told there was a perocoronitis but probably also something else. He susbected the pulpa of the molar was infected even though there was nothing like that to be seen in the x-rays. He did however clean the gum thoroughly first and he prescribed me a desinfecting mouth water.

After two days I called the dentist to tell that all the pain was gone. Ithe cleaning had done it. No root canal was needed.

Coconut oil is very good. I have mad toothpaste of my own with coconut oil, baking soda and some good essential oils.

Put about 1/3 cup good coconut oil in a small, clean glass jar. Place the jar in warm water so the oil melts (does not need to be hot, just warm). Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda and mix it through the oil. Add 10 drops Tea Tree oil and 5 drops Thyme oil for the "effect" (they are strong desinfectants). You can also add some peppermint oil for the taste if you like.

You can keep the "toothpaste" in the same jar you made it. Put the lid on. Keep it in the refridgerator. When you use it, take the needed amount from the jar with a clean tea spoon. . Can also be used for "oil pulling". Do not swallow .

[Quiteria]

I had two of mine removed because of cavities in addition to the infection....it got to where they crumbled and were cutting my cheek. So, worth it. They were prone to cavities from the partial impaction, and the poor habits while at that same stage of parenting.

I thought the oral surgeon I went to did a good job of giving a balanced opinion. In deciding to keep the other two, there were a few factors. First, are your teeth impacted? Are they straight enough to actually provide a chewing surface? Are they erupted far enough to catch food? Far enough to brush them? I will probably have my other upper tooth removed when it starts causing problems because it's only halfway out, and extremely hard to reach to brush at its weird angle, plus the pressure it puts on the other teeth from being crooked. I work hard at keeping it clean, but it catches food back there easily. On the other hand, the side where we did remove my impacted wisdom teeth feels amazing now that they're gone...I didn't realize how much pressure they applied until they were gone. So, I think I will appreciate having that remaining upper tooth out, and could have done it simultaneously, but it was good to have one side to chew on while healing, and now that the crisis is over, I'm in no hurry as long as it remains healthy.

The second big consideration is whether we're talking about a lower tooth. Did you get an x-ray that shows the major nerve in the jaw that runs near the root of your wisdom teeth? Does your root touch that nerve? How far/close is it to the nerve? Does the root look straight? (Mine had a little curve to it, and while that didn't really show from the angle of the x-ray, it was much more difficult and painful to get out compared to the other tooth with a straight root. And I shudder to think what would have happened if that root had been hooked around the nerve.) So, the big deal is that nerve controls that side of your lower face/jaw. If the dentist nicks that nerve or otherwise damages it in the process of pulling your wisdom tooth, you could lose sensation there, maybe even experience paralysis, and it can be permanent. And it's not a matter of getting a skilled dentist or not, it's a matter of whether your tooth is close enough to the nerve to be risky. THAT'S why dentists prefer to remove them before age 25, the earlier the better, because it takes time for the roots to form, and in an 18-20yo the wisdom tooth still looks more like a baby tooth being shed, just a round little bud without the root yet, no where near that jaw nerve. After 25, the root is RIGHT THERE, sometimes right against the nerve, sometimes even passing through where it runs.

Did your dentist talk about those risks with you? If not, I'd find a dentist who takes that risk seriously before evaluating whether to keep or remove your lower wisdom teeth. I will be keeping that one as my last wisdom tooth for as long as possible rather than risk an extraction, until it gets to a point where it has deteriorated to the point where there is no longer hope of preventing/managing infections, until the risk of infection complications clearly outweighs the risk of paralysis in terms of likelihood and severity.

[ShangriLewis]

I was around 30 when I had mine out. It was an easy recovery. I had an area that would get food trapped and cause small infections. I had a great Oral Surgeon and an easy recovery.