Pericoronitis

Pericoronitis


What - Pericoronitis is an inflammation of the soft tissues surrounding the crown of a partially erupted tooth, typically a wisdom tooth.

Why - It occurs when the tooth does not have enough room to fully emerge or is only partially erupted, leaving a flap of gum tissue that can trap food and bacteria. This leads to infection and inflammation.

Symptoms -
> Pain around the affected tooth
> Swelling of the gum tissue
> Difficulty opening the mouth (trismus)
> Bad taste in the mouth or bad breath (halitosis)
> Pus discharge from the gum near the affected tooth
> Swollen lymph nodes

Advice - Check for inflammation, bleeding, pus discharge, swelling and evaluate radiating pain near ear and jaws
Note - Thorough cleaning of the area by a dentist or oral surgeon Rinsing with warm salt water to reduce inflammation Antibiotics if there is a significant infection Pain relief medication Surgical removal of the gum flap (operculectomy) or extraction of the wisdom tooth if the condition recurs frequently