Wisdom tooth extractions aren’t taken lightly, but they are a common form of preventive care. One of the most important reasons for that is to prevent pericoronitis, which is inflammation surrounding an impacted dental crown. Dr. Roopi Kattaura, of Ardas Family Dental, regularly removes patients’ wisdom teeth efficiently after discussing their full range of options, so we wanted to take this opportunity to make sure everyone understands what pericoronitis is and how it is treated.
An impacted tooth is one that is unable to fully emerge. The wisdom teeth, being much larger than other teeth and the last to come in, frequently become impacted, leading to soreness and disruption in the alignment of the rest of the teeth. But when a wisdom tooth partly emerges, the flap of gum tissue covering it, called an operculum, becomes a trap for food debris. This allows bacteria to feed in a place they can’t be brushed or flossed out of, resulting in an infection that will cause swelling and the discharge of pus and has the potential to spread to other parts of the body.
A dental hygienist could clean an operculum, but that wouldn’t prevent a new infection from developing. A more lasting solution is to cut the operculum away. But even then, there is a possibility it will grow back, and if the impacted wisdom tooth is causing other problems, the best option may be to remove the tooth. Sometimes, only the crown needs to be removed, but there are also times when removing the roots will help to reduce overcrowding and remove the risk that they’ll continue to emerge and create a new gum flap.
Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.
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