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Wisdom tooth removal is generally a preventative process, meaning that the removal takes place prior to any pain and dental complications occurring. Impacted wisdom teeth can cause a variety of problems down the road, misaligning teeth and causing infection, so most dental experts agree that removing the last molars during the late teenage years is good preventative medicine.

But sometimes, problems with the wisdom teeth can occur before the removal occurs. When wisdom teeth are impacted and become infected, there are some symptoms you can recognize, which should send you to your dentist right away.

Tender Gums

Impacted wisdom teeth often don’t break the gums. So as you look around for the source of your dental pain, or toothache, you might not be able to see anything wrong. The issue lies underneath the gums.

But often, infection will occur as the teeth break through the gums, and bacteria enters. Infected wisdom teeth will result in both tender and red, swollen gums. There may even be swelling around the jaw.

Bad Breath

Multiple different issues in the mouth can cause bad breath, and one of them is dental infection. When the wisdom teeth get infected, there may also be an unpleasant taste in the mouth. Bad breath and unpleasant taste in the mouth happen to us all, but when it becomes out of the ordinary, it may be time to seek the advice of your dentist or an oral surgeon.

Headache

Toothache and pain the mouth can cause a headache. We all would like an easy solution to get rid of a headache. Sometimes getting rid of wisdom tooth infection can be an answer.

Wisdom teeth become impacted because they don’t have enough room. The teeth can grow sideways, or distorted in other ways because of this lack of room. They can be partially impacted, meaning the crown of the tooth is partially visible, or fully impacted, meaning the teeth haven’t broken through the gums yet.