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Oral Cancer Screening Laser
Oral Surgery Resources
Question:
I have an abcess on my lower left jaw over an impacted wisdom tooth. I need to have #17 and #32 removed and both ache, but this abcess is killing me. I have been prescribed penicillin and told that I can't see an oral surgeon for over a month.
My jaw won't close fully due to this abcess, which is draining and swelling rapidly, it hurts so much I cant sleep and am having trouble working. Is there any way to ease the pressure and pain in the time before I see the surgeon and do I have to worry about being on pennicillin for that long?
My dentist acts like this is no big deal. I drive a bus and can't take controlled substances such as tylenol 3 for pain. ...Visitor from NY
Answer:
An abscess is a term which is often used very loosely by the non-professional community. Abscesses are the proliferation of mature and young blood cells which fight off infection along with bacteria and dead tissue. This can be a serious condition and not one that would be taken lightly by your dentist.
An abscess or a growth that is coming from the crown part of a totally impacted wisdom tooth (total impaction meaning that the tooth is entirely covered with gum tissue and or bone), is a condition which needs to be tended to soon and a biopsy would be performed. This is not a condition which would have antibiotics prescribed for.
What you probably have is what is called a pericornitis. This is the inflammation of the tissue which is covering the erupting third molar (wisdom tooth). As the tooth is trying to move into the mouth the tissue above gets broken down. Food and bacteria get between the tooth and the gum tissue and cause an inflammatory reaction. This is the swelling and red look that the area has. Due to the closeness of the tooth to the muscles that move the jaw (Medial Pterygoid and Massetter) the jaw has much pain and stiffness in opening.
Along with the antibiotics which will be used for about a week and not the entire month, warm salt water rinsing the area vigorously will help by removing any foreign bodies and decease the swelling. Try to get a the oral surgeon to move you up on the schedule. Oftentimes this type of condition will come and go, when the teeth are bothering you, you want them out and when they are not, often people will wait for a more convenient time to have them removed. Unless the infection is very aggressive, the condition is not serious and the teeth are best removed after the inflammation has subsided.
Editorial Staff
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