Wisdom teeth, as the last teeth in the human mouth, often bring people a lot of trouble, one of the most common problems is wisdom teeth swelling. When wisdom tooth swelling occurs, many people are eager to know exactly how long it will take for it to go away. To understand this problem, we need to first understand the causes of wisdom tooth swelling, and then analyze it in combination with different situations.
First,Common causes of wisdom tooth swelling
(1) Impacted wisdom teeth
When wisdom teeth grow, they cannot erupt properly due to lack of space and can be blocked by gums, neighboring teeth or jaw bones, a condition known as wisdom tooth impaction. A blind pocket forms between an impacted wisdom tooth and the gums that cover its surface, and food debris and bacteria can easily accumulate inside the blind pocket. When these bacteria multiply in large numbers, they can cause inflammation, resulting in red, swollen and painful gums, which is pericoronitis of wisdom teeth, and the most common cause of wisdom tooth swelling.
(2) Dental caries
If the position of wisdom teeth is relatively far back, it is difficult to thoroughly clean in place during daily brushing, and dental caries are prone to occur. When caries develop to a certain extent, bacteria infect the pulp of the tooth, causing pulpitis. Pulpitis develops further and the inflammation spreads to the periapical tissue, which can cause periapical inflammation, which causes the gums around the wisdom teeth to swell.
(3) Periodontitis
Periodontitis can occur in all teeth, and wisdom teeth are no exception. Periodontitis is caused by the accumulation of plaque, stone and other irritants around the teeth for a long time, leading to the inflammation of the periodontal tissue. Periodontitis causes red, swollen gums, bleeding, resorption of alveolar bone, and loosening of teeth. Swelling occurs when the periodontal tissue around the wisdom teeth is invaded by inflammation.
(4) occlusal trauma
If the growth direction of the wisdom teeth is not normal, and the occlusal relationship with the jaw teeth is not coordinated, during the chewing process, it may be subjected to abnormal biting force, resulting in damage to the teeth and surrounding tissues, causing swelling and pain.
Second, the time for wisdom tooth swelling to disappear in different situations
(1) Mild pericoronitis of wisdom teeth
When pericoronitis of wisdom teeth is in a mild stage, the main manifestation is mild red and swollen gums, the pain is not obvious, occasionally a little discomfort when chewing or touching, and there is no obvious systemic symptoms, such as fever, fatigue, etc.
In this case, if the patient can maintain good oral hygiene habits, such as brushing at least twice a day, brushing for no less than 3 minutes each time, flossing between the teeth, and gargling immediately after meals to remove food debris in the mouth. At the same time, use mouthwash with anti-inflammatory effect, such as chlorhexidine mouthwash, according to the instructions to use, several times a day. In general, the swelling will gradually subside after about 3-5 days. If the wisdom teeth are still impacted after the symptoms subside, in order to avoid another attack of pericoronitis, it is recommended to go to a regular dental hospital to remove the wisdom teeth after the inflammation has completely subsided.
(2) moderate pericoronitis of wisdom teeth
When the middle wisdom tooth pericoronitis attacks, the gums are obviously red and swollen, and the pain is aggravated, which may affect normal chewing and swallowing. Local lymph nodes may be swollen and tender, but the systemic symptoms are relatively mild, and occasionally there will be low fever.
At this point, maintaining oral hygiene and using mouthwash alone may not be effective in controlling inflammation. It is usually necessary to treat with oral antibiotics under the guidance of a doctor, commonly used antibiotics are metronidazole, amoxicillin and so on. In general, after 3-5 days of taking antibiotics, the inflammation will be significantly controlled and the swelling will begin to gradually decrease. But complete resolution can take around 7-10 days. After the inflammation subsides, it is also recommended to remove the wisdom teeth in time to prevent inflammation again.
(3) Severe pericoronitis of wisdom teeth
Severe pericoronal inflammation of wisdom teeth is more serious, the gingiva is red and swollen in a wide range, the pain is severe, and even the patient cannot open and eat normally, and the patient may have systemic symptoms such as high fever, chills, headache, and fatigue. Local inflammation may also spread, cause maxillofacial space infection, lead to facial swelling and deformation, and even affect breathing and swallowing function in severe cases, endangering life.
For severe pericoronitis of wisdom teeth, patients need to go to the hospital as soon as possible. Treatment begins with incision and drainage, that is, a small incision is made at the site of the most severe swelling to drain the pus inside the blind bag, relieve local pressure, and relieve pain and swelling. At the same time, intravenous antibiotics are needed for systemic anti-infection treatment, and the commonly used drug combinations include cephalosporins combined with metronidazole. With active treatment, systemic symptoms generally ease within 3-5 days, and local swelling begins to gradually subside around 7-10 days, but a full return to normal may take 2-3 weeks or even longer. After the inflammation has completely subsided, the wisdom teeth must be removed in time to prevent future problems.
(4) Swelling of wisdom teeth caused by dental caries
If the swelling of wisdom teeth is caused by dental caries, it is necessary to determine the treatment plan and the time for the swelling to disappear according to the severity of the caries. If caries only involve the superficial layer of enamel or dentin and do not infect the pulp, the problem can generally be solved by filling treatment. Before filling a tooth, the doctor will remove the decayed tissue and then fill it with filling material. After filling, the swelling will usually gradually subside within 1-2 days.
However, if the tooth decay has infected the pulp of the tooth, causing pulpitis or periapical inflammation, root canal treatment is needed. Root canal treatment is usually done in 2-3 sessions, the first time is to open the pulp drainage, relieve the pressure in the pulp cavity, reduce pain and swelling. The swelling may be reduced within 1-2 days after the pulp is opened and drained. The second was root canal preparation and disinfection, and the third was root canal filling. The entire root canal procedure takes about 2-3 weeks, and the swelling will gradually disappear after the treatment is over. However, for wisdom teeth that have no retention value, even if root canal treatment is completed, it is recommended to remove them after the inflammation has subsided to avoid recurrence of problems.
(5) Swelling of wisdom teeth caused by periodontitis
The main treatment for wisdom tooth swelling caused by periodontitis is periodontal basic treatment, including supragingival cleaning and subgingival curettage. Dental cleaning can remove plaque and calculus from the surface of the tooth, and subgingival curettage can remove infected material and calculus from the periodontal pocket. Generally, swelling will begin to decrease within 3-5 days after dental cleaning and subgingival scaling. However, since periodontitis is a chronic disease, patients need to maintain good oral hygiene habits for a long time and regularly perform periodontal maintenance treatment to prevent the recurrence of swelling. If the periodontal tissue around the wisdom tooth is severely damaged and the tooth is visibly loosened, it may be necessary to remove the wisdom tooth.
(6) Swelling of wisdom teeth caused by occlusal trauma
For the swelling of wisdom teeth caused by occlusal trauma, the occlusal relationship needs to be adjusted first. The doctor will adjust the occlusal surface of the tooth, remove the occlusal high point, and make the teeth bite evenly. After adjusting the bite, the patient needs to avoid chewing food with the affected side and allow the teeth to get enough rest. In general, the swelling will gradually subside in about 3-5 days. If after adjustment and grinding, the occlusal trauma still cannot be solved, or there are other problems with the wisdom tooth, such as impacted, you can also consider removing the wisdom tooth.
Third, other factors that affect the time for wisdom tooth swelling to disappear
(1) Personal physical condition
An individual’s physical condition has an important impact on the recovery time of wisdom tooth swelling. If the patient’s immune system is strong and the resistance to inflammation is relatively high, the time for swelling to disappear may be relatively short under the same treatment conditions. On the contrary, for some patients with systemic diseases, such as diabetes, AIDS, etc., due to the body’s low immunity, the recovery rate of inflammation will be slower, and the time to subside the swelling of wisdom teeth will be prolonged. Taking diabetic patients as an example, the environment of high blood sugar is conducive to the growth of bacteria, and will affect the function of white blood cells, reduce the body’s ability to fight infection, so after the swelling of diabetic wisdom teeth, the recovery time may be 1-2 weeks longer than normal.
(2) Treatment methods and timeliness
The correct treatment method and timely treatment are the key to promote the reduction of wisdom tooth swelling. If the patient goes to the hospital in time at the early stage of wisdom tooth swelling, the doctor can take appropriate treatment measures according to the specific situation, the inflammation can be quickly controlled, and the swelling will subside faster. Conversely, if patients delay treatment, resulting in increased inflammation, treatment will be more difficult, and the time for swelling to disappear will be greatly extended. For example, mild pericoronitis of wisdom teeth can recover in 3-5 days if treated promptly, but if delayed to severe, it may take 2-3 weeks or even longer to recover.
(3) Oral hygiene habits
Good oral hygiene is essential for the recovery of swollen wisdom teeth. During the swelling of wisdom teeth, if the patient can strictly keep the mouth clean and remove food debris and bacteria in time, it can reduce the growth of bacteria and create a good environment for the regression of inflammation. On the contrary, if oral hygiene is poor, food debris and bacteria continue to accumulate, which will cause inflammation to continue to increase, and swelling is difficult to subside. Therefore, even after receiving treatment, patients need to insist on proper brushing, flossing, etc., and maintain oral hygiene to promote the swelling to disappear as soon as possible.
Conclusion
In summary, the time it takes for wisdom tooth swelling to disappear varies depending on factors such as the cause, severity of the condition, personal physical condition, treatment method and timeliness, and oral hygiene habits. Mild wisdom tooth swelling may subside within 3-5 days, while severe swelling may take several weeks. When there is swelling of wisdom teeth, it is recommended to go to a regular oral hospital in time, identify the cause, take the correct treatment measures, while maintaining good oral hygiene habits and healthy lifestyle, in order to promote the swelling as soon as possible to avoid worsening the condition.
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