I had a terrible tooth ache Saturday evening. By Sunday, my gums on my left side had swollen up so bad I couldn’t even yawn or swallow. I fought off the pain without pain killers believing it was just my wisdom tooth erupting. I even went to work on Monday. Well, I finally was able to see a dentist and I found out I had Pericoronitis. He also told me my wisdom teeth on the bottom jaw were both impacted. Looking at the X-rays the tooth giving me problems had an angular impaction while the other side is simply vertically impacted. They both stick out of the gums a bit, but they have never fully erupted.

Pericoronitis is a common problem in young adults with partial tooth impactions. It occurs when the wisdom tooth has failed to erupt completely through the gum bed, allowing bacteria into an open space around the tooth, causing infection. Common symptoms include a swollen lump near the eruption site, stiffness of the jaw, bad odour or taste in the mouth, swollen lymphs, and pain in the general area that may also run down the entire mandible or neck.

Listed above were all the symptoms I had over the weekend. My dentist gave me amoxicillin and a prescription mouth wash to help with the infection. Its Wednesday and the swelling has gone down, but my mouth is still very sore. I’ve been limited to foods like mash potatoes, ice cream, and chicken soup. This does not work very well with my body considering I normally eat 7-8 meals a day of high protein foods. Hopefully, I’ll be able to take down solid foods by the beginning of next week.

My dentist also recommended me to a actual oral surgeon to get my wisdom molars removed. Apparently, there are some dentists who perform impacted tooth removal but are not always qualified to perform the procedure. Nerves in the jaw and the jaw itself can be damaged if done improperly. So, I took his advice and scheduled an appointment. My consultation is on April 3rd, and I’m hoping I can push back the extraction until the start of the summer so it does not interfere with my work schedule. It gets really tough to get back on track when you teach students, so missing work is not the optimal choice for me. The main thing right now, is to beat this infection, and keep my back molars as clean as possible until the extraction can take place.