Wisdom tooth swelling can be serious and it almost always comes from a wisdom tooth infection. There is very little room for a third molar to fit into the back of the mouth. Cleaning it is almost impossible so food tends to get trapped in this area. The food rots and this sets the area up for a dental infection that can spread and become serious. This is a good reason to consider wisdom tooth removal before problems occur.

          Wisdom tooth swelling can extend downward below the jaw and block the throat so that a patient can not breath. This is called Ludwig's Angina and can cause sudden death. Dentists are concerned about a tooth infection getting out of control because new super bacteria are appearing that do not respond to the normal antibiotics. These resistant bacteria grow without any boundaries. Prior to World War II, it was common for patients to die from dental infections.

          Deaths due to wisdom tooth swelling were common before the antibiotic era. It is not unusual to see patients whose dental infections do not respond normally to antibiotic therapy. The result is that these patients have to be hospitalized for observation and/or placed into an Intensive Care Unit with Intravenous (IV) antibiotics. This is really costly and very scary. There is no good reason not to treat a dental abscess early.

          A wisdom tooth swelling can also reach the brain. The human brain is only a few inches from the jaw and dental infections can harm the brain. A serious infection can cause a coma or kill a patient within a short time. The dentists at the Atlanta Dental Group PC are dedicated to their patients' good health and well being. You are welcome to join our family of patients. If you are having a dental problem and wish to schedule an appointment with Atlanta General Dentist, Dr. Mark Allan Padolsky, call 404-874-7428.