Why Infection Can Cause a Delay in Wisdom Tooth Extraction
If you require oral surgery for a wisdom tooth extraction, your dentist or oral surgeon will evaluate your overall health and the condition of your mouth before the tooth is removed. If the tooth is impacted or infected, or if you are suffering from another type of infection such as severe gum disease, the surgeon might choose to delay your extraction in order to treat the infection.
The Dangers of Oral Infection
Infection in your mouth should be treated because it can spread through the rest of your mouth and even into other areas of the body. If you must undergo oral surgery, such as the removal of a wisdom tooth, this risk is greatly increased. The presence of infection in your mouth can also adversely affect your ability to heal thoroughly after oral surgery.
The most common cause of infection in the wisdom teeth is impaction. When a tooth becomes impacted, it cannot emerge properly because there is not enough room in the mouth. If the tooth partially breaks through the gum, bacteria can find its way into the gum tissue, leading to infection.
The spread of infection during oral surgery is a danger to your overall health. It can move into the jaw and facial bones or the sinuses. In severe cases, infection can spread into the brain, creating a potentially fatal complication. The risks of this type of complication increase during surgery, when the infection is exposed, giving it more opportunity to spread.
Treating Infection before Wisdom Tooth Extraction
If you have an impacted wisdom tooth or other infection that could affect your extraction, your dentist will probably prescribe an antibiotic to eliminate the infection before the tooth is removed. You should take the antibiotic exactly as it is prescribed. Even if you are no longer experiencing any symptoms of infection, don’t stop taking the prescription too early. It’s very important that the infection be completely healed before your surgery. After your dentist at Newton Dental Group is certain the infection is gone, you can proceed with your tooth extraction.