Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars and typically emerge between the ages of 17 and 25. In some cases, wisdom teeth don’t present any problems. There’s enough space in the jaw, and they’re positioned properly to come in like any other teeth. However, it doesn’t work that way for everyone. For a lot of people there simply isn’t enough room in their mouth for the wisdom teeth to come in naturally. But can wisdom teeth cause a sore throat?
Can Wisdom Teeth Cause a Sore Throat?
When this happens, the wisdom teeth are considered “impacted” because they are partially or fully blocked from coming through the jawline. Any attempt your wisdom teeth make to emerge through the gum line has the potential to shift existing teeth and create new opportunities for easy bacterial growth. As a result, impacted wisdom teeth can be a major problem for your oral health, which can easily leave you with other symptoms including a sore throat.
The Effects of Impacted Wisdom Teeth
Impacted wisdom teeth are especially vulnerable to infection because they tend to leave small openings in the gums. These pockets create an ideal environment for bacteria where they can hide from your saliva and daily oral hygiene routine. Due to the protection offered by your gums, these infections can become serious more quickly than you would expect. It is not abnormal for impacted wisdom teeth to form abscesses.
Once the infection is underway, it is easy for those same bacteria to spread, especially to other areas of your mouth, to your throat, and even further afield thanks to the blood vessels in your gums. That is why some people with infected wisdom teeth complain of sore throat as well as headaches and respiratory symptoms. Unfortunately, it isn’t as easy as dealing with a cold. Infected wisdom teeth will likely require emergency dental care to stop the infection and treat the damage.
Identifying Infected Wisdom Teeth
You’re not a doctor or a dentist, so you won’t know with certainty whether your symptoms are caused by infected wisdom teeth. However, a few symptoms will indicate that this is a job for your dentist. While your dentist may spend their average day dealing with general dental care in Cerritos, they’re also more than prepared for more complicated cases. In fact, they handle them more often than you probably realize.
The primary indicators that you’re looking for are:
- Inflamed gums
- Tender or bleeding gums
- Jaw pain, sometimes masked as a headache
- Difficulty opening the mouth
- Severe halitosis
- Unpleasant taste that won’t go away
Even if it turns out that you don’t have infected wisdom teeth, each of these symptoms suggests that you have a serious infection somewhere in your oral cavity.
Treating Infected Wisdom Teeth
The primary treatment for severely infected wisdom teeth is extraction. If the tooth isn’t impacted, then there may be an attempt to save it, but impaction and infection tend to go together when it comes to your third set of molars. Fortunately, wisdom teeth extraction doesn’t have to be painful. In fact, it’s usually a major relief for patients who have been suffering through their infection. With that said, you should still make sure you understand the process and post-operative care to ensure the best health outcomes.
When you have your wisdom teeth extraction in Cerritos you should arrange to have someone drive you home, especially if your dentist will be using heavier sedation to help calm you. The entire process usually takes less than an hour, and you’ll be free to go home. You’ll have some gauze and a soft, straw-free diet for a while, but you should generally feel pretty normal in a day or two.
