When you have swelling or inflammation of your gum tissue then this condition is said to be Pericoronitis. It usually happens around your wisdom teeth and it is more commonly occur in your lower teeth. In the early 20s or in late teens when the third and final set of molars erupt then most people get pericoronitis.
It can be acute pericoronitis or chronic pericoronitis. When the symptoms like swelling, fever, and pain also indicate a spreading infection then this is acute pericoronitis. While in chronic pericoronitis, is a mild persistent inflammation of the area. It occurs specifically around a partially erupted tooth where the tooth has not completely erupted from the gum. This is how it is different from periodontal disease.
What are the causes of pericoronitis?
When over a partially erupted wisdom tooth soft-tissue growth happens then this is called an operculum. Under the operculum, bacteria can get trapped. To enter around the tooth and cause swelling and infection, this condition allows an opening for bacteria. A bacterial film, plaque, bacteria, or food debris remains on teeth after eating. This may also get caught underneath the gingiva a flap of gum around a tooth. It can irritate the gum and lead to pericoronitis if it stays there. The infection and swelling may extend beyond the jaw to the cheeks and neck in serious cases.
What are the symptoms of Pericoronitis?
The symptoms of pericoronitis can be either chronic or acute. Chronic symptoms include:
A bad taste in the mouth
Mild discomfort and occasional pain
Where the symptoms of acute pericoronitis are:
Swelling caused by an accumulation of fluid in the gum tissue.
Lockjaw, a condition where you found difficulties in opening the mouth and jaw.
Pain
Loss of appetite
Pus discharge
Fever and Infection
What are the risk factors of pericoronitis?
The risk factors of pericoronitis include these:
- Emotional stress
- When you are in the age of late teens or early 20s.
- If you have poor oral hygiene
- Infections in the upper respiratory tract.
How Long Does Pericoronitis Take to Heal?
The healing of pericoronitis depends on the severity and on the complexity of the infection. It also depends on the level of the immunity of the patient and the type of treatment used for the infection.
- Healing time greatly depends on the age of the patient and density of the tooth, for patients who undergo wisdom tooth extraction. In comparison with older patients, younger patients will experience a faster rate of recovery. WIth tooth extraction to heal for pericoronal infection it would take about a couple of weeks to a month.
- So as to completely cure the pericoronitis infection, for patients who do not want to undergo tooth extraction procedure or dental surgery, they need to required to continue with their medication for several months.
- If the infection is properly treated by using the right dose of antibiotics or painkillers, a mild pericoronal inflammation or infection can heal within a few days or a week. A
- Periodontal Gum care near me will help you in this.
