Is my wisdom tooth infected or just erupting?

[Ldennis98]

Hi, I’m 23 and my bottom left wisdom tooth has been erupting for about a year. Since it started erupting it gets sore every now and then but for the most part it’s okay and I make an effort to brush it every day. I’m in pain with it at the moment, it feels like it’s erupting a little bit more, slight bit of blood and feeling sore, but no redness and no inflammation! I took a good look at it earlier with a cotton swab (got a little blood on it) and the swab smelt when I took it away. Other than the soreness and that odd smell, there aren’t any signs of infection, the pain is bearable and I can still eat on the other side of my mouth. My dentist said they won’t remove it because it’s not causing problems at the moment(no recurring infections) so I just have to keep it for now. I’ve been rinsing with salt water and taking ibuprofen.

 

[letsconnect]

Hi, it doesn’t sound as if your wisdom tooth is infected if your dentist didn’t spot anything. Smells are usually caused by either not cleaning between the teeth often enough, or effectively enough. If the tooth is erupted far enough, try using an interdental brush or floss (or both) each day, in addition to brushing - hopefully that will get rid of the smell. The soreness might also be caused by inflamed gums. Again, cleaning between the teeth should help with this.

If you feel that things have become worse since you last saw your dentist (you didn’t mention how long ago), then it would be a good idea to see them again and see what what they say!