What does it mean when they say that the hood on the wisdom tooth is inflamed? Let's figure it out.
Wisdom teeth are popularly called chewing teeth (large molars) located on the edge. They appear, as a rule, at the age of 16-36 years. In total, a person can have four wisdom teeth, however, dental practice is faced with situations where only 1 or 2 extreme molars erupt. At the same time, the rest continue to grow under the gum, being under a strong slope or in a supine position. In some cases, the rudiments of eights in patients are completely absent. When wisdom teeth do not erupt before the age of 35, a person should undergo an X-ray examination to rule out possible anomalies.
Eruption is always a painful process that is accompanied by inflammation of the hood of the wisdom tooth. This is due to the complex interweaving of the root system. With severe inflammation,accompanied by accumulation of exudative fluid, hyperemia, abscesses extending into the deep layers of soft tissues, the patient is diagnosed with pericoronitis. This pathological condition is typical for the process of eruption of eights, but this does not mean that therapy for such a condition is not required. The advanced form of pericoronitis is capable of turning into inflammation of the deep layers of the mucosa, which has a destructive form.
Possible causes of pericoronitis
Pericoronitis is a very painful process, so it is very important to identify the causes that cause severe inflammation during the eruption of the closing teeth. When an x-ray shows an anatomical misalignment of a tooth or the presence of intertwined roots, the doctor will refer the patient to a dental surgeon who will determine if the gum needs to be cut and then extracted before the tooth begins to erupt.
The appearance of extreme molars may be accompanied by the development of complications associated with other reasons. Knowledge of the factors contributing to inflammation of the wisdom tooth hood will ensure timely prevention of this pathology.
Thickening gums
In about a tenth of all patients, the tissues located at the site of the growth of the wisdom tooth have thickened walls, which prevents the tooth from eruption. In this case, a person experiences severe pain, often accompanied by a rise in temperature, a headache, and a deterioration in general well-being. In some patients with thickened gingival wallsthere is a decrease in hearing, soreness in the ears, eye sockets. If teething does not occur for a long time, the lymph nodes located under the jaw begin to become inflamed.
For what other reasons does the hood on the wisdom tooth become inflamed?
Dense plaque of bacterial origin on the gums
If hygiene standards and oral care are neglected, the likelihood of a patient developing pericoronitis increases several times. When a tooth erupts, the gums rise and then rupture. Microbes and bacteria located on it are able to penetrate into damaged areas and provoke severe inflammation.
Wisdom tooth hood photo presented.
This form of pericoronitis is characterized by the appearance of the following symptoms:
- Strongly swollen and swollen gums in the area of wisdom tooth eruption.
- Any load on the site of the lesion causes a high-intensity pain syndrome. Moreover, the pain affects not only the site of the molar, but the entire jaw.
- The temperature rises to 38.5 degrees Celsius.
In the absence of timely therapeutic measures, the pathological process can transform into a purulent-infectious one, which is dangerous because blood infection can occur.
Types of pericoronitis and symptoms
The symptoms of inflammation of the wisdom tooth hood depend on its shape. For acute pericoronitischaracterized by severe pain and high intensity of the main symptoms, so the diagnosis of an acute course of difficulties usually does not cause. Typical symptoms of acute pericoronitis are:
- The appearance of a sharp and unpleasant odor from the oral cavity, which intensifies after eating. However, the use of hygiene products does not allow to eliminate it.
- The hyperemia of mucous membranes develops, the temperature rises locally in the area of eruption.
- There is an acute form of pain syndrome that interferes with eating, talking, opening the mouth.
- Pain sensations radiate to the temple area, lower or upper jaw, ear.
- The cervical or submandibular lymph nodes become inflamed.
- The body temperature rises.
If at this stage the patient does not seek help from a dentist and tries to cure the disease on his own, the process begins to take on a chronic form.
Chronic pericoronitis
Chronic pericoronitis develops, as a rule, if tooth eruption occurs for a long time, and also in cases where the patient self-medicates an acute form of pericoronitis, stopping pain with analgesics and avoiding a visit to the dentist.
When the hood of the wisdom tooth is inflamed, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Unlike acute pericoronitis, chronic is not accompanied by intense pain - the patient can open his mouth almost painlessly, but withEating greatly intensifies the pain. Lymph nodes with chronic pericoronitis increase slightly, palpation does not cause pain. The exceptions are cases when the pathology flows into osteomyelitis of the jaw or periostitis.
Symptoms
The chronic process is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Pus exudes from under the gum hood.
- The load on adjacent teeth increases, resulting in increased mobility and fragility.
- Abscesses and abscesses appear at the teething site.
In the absence of adequate therapy, chronic pericoronitis contributes to the development of phlegmon - purulent inflammation in an acute form that has no definite boundaries.
In addition, the inflammatory process is classified according to the form of its course:
- Catarrhal pericoronitis. It is the initial stage in the development of the inflammatory process, the symptoms in this form of pathology are mild.
- Purulent pericoronitis. It is the most dangerous form of pathology. Inflammation in this form of pericoronitis is accompanied by suppuration of the affected tissues.
- Ulcerative pericoronitis. A distinctive feature of this form is the presence of an ulcerative necrotic process in the affected gum.
- Posterior molar pericoronitis. With this form of pathology, the purulent focus is hidden, as a result of which the normal outflow of exudate is disturbed. Because of this, pus begins to accumulate in soft tissues,the inflammatory process penetrates deeper, affecting the periosteum and provoking the formation of an abscess.
When the hood over the wisdom tooth is inflamed, treatment should be comprehensive.
Treatment of pericoronitis
Dentists believe that the only adequate way to treat pericoronitis in acute or chronic form is surgery. Only 2% of uncomplicated pathology can be treated with anti-inflammatory ointments, gels and other means. That is why experts do not recommend wasting time and effort trying to cure pathology at home.
Taking into account the anatomical localization of the tooth and the severity of the pathology, the doctor chooses one of two surgical methods of treatment - extraction of the figure eight and its root system or excision of the gum hood over the wisdom tooth. The first technique is used only in extreme cases, since surgery can provoke various complications, and the recovery period takes up to six months. In some cases, the operation to extract the figure eight from the bone alveoli is performed under general anesthesia in the maxillofacial surgical hospital, which significantly increases the load on the heart muscle and other important human organs.
Indications for wisdom tooth extraction
Wisdom tooth extraction is performed only when there are strict indications:
- The patient has a specific anatomical structure of the jaw (for example, the jaw arch is too narrow, and in the dentitionthere is no room for teething).
- Pathological disorders in the formation of the rudiments of teeth in the embryonic period.
- Abnormal location of the figure eight, its roots, incorrect tooth growth.
- No effect, recurrence of pathology after cutting off the hood on the wisdom tooth.
- Formation of a new gingival hood (occurs quite rarely, only in 5% of cases).
Both surgical methods for excision of the hood of the wisdom tooth require careful preparation and effective anesthesia. Upon completion of the surgical intervention, the patient is assigned to comply with a special regimen, which involves minimizing the load on the area that has been damaged. It is also recommended to use various medications aimed at preventing possible complications.
Medication after surgery
A patient after surgical removal of a wisdom tooth or excision of the gingival hood must be prescribed drug therapy. One of its components are antibacterial drugs. The most commonly used antibiotic drugs with a wide range of effects, which show their activity against most anaerobic and aerobic pathogens. The most effective drugs are:
- "Hemomycin". The patient is prescribed a single use per day of one tablet, the duration of the course is about 5 days.
- "Amoxicillin". Shown three times a day one tablet. Therapy takes up to 10 days.
- "Zinnat". One tablet is prescribed twice a day, therapy takes up to 10 days.
- Metronidazole. Take one tablet twice or three times for 10 days.
- "Tsiprolet". Take one tablet twice or three times a day for a week.
- "Ciprofloxacin". Three times a day, one tablet. Therapy usually takes 10 days.
Inflammation of the hood of the wisdom tooth
The use of oral preparations should be combined with the use of topical agents. Quite often, dentists recommend rinsing and mouth baths using antiseptics such as Miramistin, Hexoral, Chlorhexidine. Sometimes prescribed the use of anti-inflammatory gels, which have soothing components, antibacterial substances and antiseptics. Some of them contain lidocaine, which helps to reduce the intensity of pain after the removal of the eight.
If the hood over the wisdom tooth is inflamed, taking into account the indications, the patient may be prescribed the following gel preparations with a local type of effect: Dentinox, Metrogil Denta, Asepta, Kamistad, Cholisal.
It is important to consider that any post-surgery medications can only be used on the recommendation of a dentist, and the combination of topical medications and oral medications is only allowed in some cases. With the uncontrolled use of drugs of the antibacterial group, dysbacteriosis may develop.oral cavity, which reduces the protective functions of the mucous membranes and increases the risk of complications.
Therapy of pericoronitis with folk methods
Pericoronitis is one of the few diseases of the oral cavity that cannot be cured by using traditional recipes. Alternative treatment of this disease has a very low efficiency, it is for this reason that dentists recommend immediately contacting a medical institution, without waiting for the development of a purulent form of pericoronitis.
Inflammation of the hood over the wisdom tooth is one of the most dangerous and serious pathologies in dental practice. If untreated, pericoronitis can lead to serious consequences, among which the greatest danger is systemic blood poisoning. When the eruption of eights is accompanied by the appearance of primary signs of an inflammatory process, the patient should immediately contact the dental clinic. Prevention of the disease involves periodic visits to the dentist. This will make it possible to detect existing deviations at the earliest stages, predict the further course of the pathology, take measures to prevent the development of complications, and, if necessary, start treatment immediately.
It is important to remember that only timely diagnosis and therapy will avoid undesirable consequences in case of inflammation of the wisdom tooth hood.
