Pericoronitis

What is Pericoronitis?

When your wisdom tooth comes through, the gum around your wisdom tooth can become loose and trap food and plaque. The gums will then start swelling up and cause pain.

The pain usually feels like a dull ache around your wisdom tooth, which is constantly there. You may also notice some tenderness, bad taste and smell.

Pericoronitis is usually mild, but it can sometimes become infected, where it becomes much more painful and harder to handle.

Pericoronitis is a really common issue when you have impacted wisdom teeth which are difficult to clean.

Symptoms of Pericoronitis

The symptoms of pericoronitis can vary depending on the severity, but common signs include:

1. Pain and discomfort: Around the partially erupted tooth, usually at the back of the mouth.

2. Swelling: Of the gum tissue around the affected tooth, which can sometimes spread to the cheek or jaw.

3. Redness: The gum tissue around the tooth may be visibly inflamed.

4. Bad breath or a bad taste: This is caused by trapped food particles and bacterial buildup under the gum flap.

5. Difficulty opening the mouth (trismus): The inflammation can cause limited mouth opening.

6. Pus discharge: Pus may be around the affected area in more severe cases.

7. Fever and general malaise: In cases of severe infection, symptoms like fever or swollen lymph nodes in the neck may occur.

8. Difficulty swallowing: If the swelling is extensive, it may affect swallowing and eating.

These symptoms can indicate that the tissue around the wisdom tooth is infected or irritated, and prompt treatment is needed to avoid complications.

Home treatment for Pericoronitis

Most of the time, Pericoronitis will go away on its own in 3-5 days. You don’t need to rush to see your dentist as long as you follow the steps below:

• Stop smoking if you are a smoker

• Clean the area thoroughly four times a day with a small brush

• Rinse the area thoroughly with salty water or Corsodyl mouthwash (only use Corsodyl for seven days at a time, it can stain your teeth if you use it for longer)

• Take painkillers for the pain (Ibuprofen or paracetamol)

If you have a thin-tipped syringe at home, then you can use that to clean around the wisdom tooth. This is highly effective, and it’s what most dentists will do when you go to see them. A single tufted toothbrush may make it easier to clean under the gum.

Pericoronitis Mouthwash

If you are looking to get some mouthwash to help clean the area, we recommend using Corsodyl, as it contains Chlorhexidine Digluconate (an antimicrobial agent that helps to reduce bacterial load and prevent infection).

Make sure you are buying the correct version of the mouthwash. It needs to be Corsodyl, not Corsodyl Daily.

Make sure you only use Corsodyl for a maximum of 7 days in a row, as prolonged use can cause your teeth to stain.

Using a good quality electric toothbrush will also help you prevent pericoronitis as the power from the brush will help clean under the gum around your wisdom tooth. We’ve written a guide with our favourite electric toothbrushes which you can read here.

When to See the Dentist With Wisdom Tooth Pain

If it has been a few days and the pain is not getting better, or if the pain is severe, then you may need to see your dentist, who will use a scaler and a syringe to get right underneath the gum and give the area a thorough cleaning.

In very rare cases, if there is a lot of gum swelling, your dentist may want to cut the gum back, which will make it easier to clean the area.

If your dentist notices the area is infected and that the infection is spreading, they may prescribe you a course of antibiotics.

Treatment For Pericoronitis

Treating pericoronitis involves a mix of home care and professional dental treatments to ease symptoms and prevent it from returning. Here’s what you can do:

1. Home Care: Gently brush the area around the sore gum to keep it clean. Rinse your mouth with warm salt water or an antiseptic mouthwash like Corsodyl to reduce bacteria and soothe inflammation.

2. Irrigation: Flushing the area with saline or Corsodyl can help remove food particles and debris trapped under the gum flap. This will be done by your dentist

3. Operculectomy: A dentist might trim the gum tissue covering the tooth to prevent it from trapping debris and causing irritation. This can be done using a scalpel, electrocautery machine, or laser and is usually not very painful. Cutting the gum back can provide instant relief, but most of the time, the gum will regrow over the wisdom tooth.

4. Antibiotics: If the infection is severe, your dentist might prescribe antibiotics to fight it and reduce swelling.

5. Extracting the Wisdom Tooth: Removing the wisdom tooth may be the best way to prevent future problems for ongoing or severe cases.

Signs That You May Need Antibiotics

• A large swelling in the area, which is spreading

• You are unable to open your mouth comfortably

• You have a fever or you have started to feel generally ill

• The lymph nodes around your neck on that side are hard and swollen

The antibiotics used to treat pericoronitis infections are usually Metronidazole or Amoxicillin.

Should My Wisdom Teeth Be Removed?

Pericoronitis can happen repeatedly. When the tooth is coming through the gum, usually in your 20’s, it can be at its worst, but it usually settles down later on. Dentists in the UK will not routinely remove wisdom teeth because of pericoronitis unless:

• It’s happened more than 3 times in 1 year

• It’s extremely severe

• The wisdom tooth is impacted, and your dentist thinks it could cause harm to the tooth in front of it.