Wisdom teeth come through between 17 and 25, and there is often no room for them. What an infection around a wisdom tooth looks like, what helps at home, when the tooth can stay and when extraction is the only way out. Why wisdom teeth cause trouble
Wisdom teeth, the third molars, are the last to erupt, usually between 17 and 25, for some people later or never. The modern jaw is shorter than our ancestors' and the fourth molar often has no room: it comes through partly, at an angle, lying sideways, or stays in the bone. A partly erupted tooth is covered by a flap of gum that traps food and bacteria, and that flap is where most wisdom-tooth pain begins.
How to recognise an infection around a wisdom tooth
- painful, swollen gum behind the last molar, sore when you bite on it;
- difficulty or pain opening the mouth wide, painful swallowing;
- a bad taste or smell, sometimes pus from under the gum flap;
- pain radiating to the ear, throat or temple on the same side;
- a swollen cheek or lymph nodes under the jaw, a slight temperature.
Dentists call it pericoronitis. The first episode usually settles in 5–7 days but comes back every time plaque collects under the flap again.
What to do at home
- Rinse with warm salt water or a chlorhexidine mouthwash 3–4 times a day, especially after meals, aiming behind the tooth.
- Brush the tooth with a soft brush even if it hurts; the plaque under the flap is the cause.
- Ibuprofen as directed reduces both pain and swelling.
- A cool compress on the cheek; no heat.
- Soft food, chew on the other side.
If it is no better after 2–3 days, the swelling grows or a temperature appears, come in: the infection needs irrigating, and we need to see whether the tooth can erupt normally at all. If swelling makes swallowing or breathing difficult, go to an emergency department.
Extract or keep
| Can stay | Better extracted |
|---|---|
| Fully erupted, straight, with an opposing tooth to bite against | Partly erupted with recurring infections |
| Can be cleaned with a brush and interdental brush | Tilted or horizontal, pressing on the second molar |
| No decay in it or in the neighbouring tooth | Decay that cannot be filled properly that far back |
| No cyst or bone loss on the X-ray | A cyst around the crown or bone loss at the second molar |
The decision follows the X-ray (10–15 EUR). "Take all four out as a precaution" is not our approach: a tooth that causes no trouble and will not cause any stays.
How a wisdom tooth extraction works
Local anaesthesia and 20–40 minutes of the dentist's work; a tooth lying sideways is sometimes removed in pieces. The price at Laurus Dent plus is 150–200 EUR, the same for difficult cases; details on wisdom tooth extraction. An infected tooth is first calmed with irrigation and, if needed, antibiotics, and extracted 5–7 days later, because anaesthesia works poorly in inflamed tissue. Expect 2–3 days of swelling afterwards, pain controlled with ordinary painkillers, stitches out after 7–10 days. If you are visiting Riga, plan the extraction at least four days before you fly.
When to call
Call +371 22428688 on weekdays 8:00–20:00 for the earliest available slot. Consultation 20–40 EUR, X-ray 10–15 EUR; if the tooth can stay, we say so and remove nothing. We treat in English.
See also: wisdom tooth extraction 150–200 EUR · toothache at night · oral surgery · all prices.