lump near wisdom tooth?

[arloiven]

so i just noticed i have some swelling next to a partially erupted wisdom tooth on my lower right side. i'm not in any pain, no trouble eating, no idea the swelling was even there until i just noticed it. it's kinda squishy (not hard.)
non drinker, non smoker, non drug user. 23 y/o. history of severe dental trauma from past experiences so please be kind. what could this be?

 

[Anne2023]

@arloiven That looks a lot like when my tooth had an abscess. I'm not a dentist, just a fellow traumatized dental sufferer.

 

[arloiven]

@Anne2023 thank you, i thought so. did you get the tooth removed or did you just use antibiotics or did it go away? just curious!

 

[Anne2023]

@arloiven I have a number of issues (dental phobia, other health issues, financial issues, and more) that have led me to not get root canals. When a tooth needs a root canal, I have it extracted. The tooth in question was #12 on the upper left (the premolar next to the canine). It got to a stage where there was a deep cavity. My dentist said that he would be willing to try to fill it and not do a root canal, but there were no guarantees with a filling that deep. I had it filled. I don't know at what point it died as I had no pain that would indicate it, but after a year and nine months, I developed an abscess on the gum line above the tooth. It looked much like your picture. At that point, I did feel pressure, but nothing intolerable. I saw the dentist and he said it was an abscess and he did the cold test, which the tooth failed. He put me on antibiotics, and I had the tooth extracted by an oral surgeon six days later. I think that if I were willing, it still could have had a root canal.

I know you said that your history of trauma is severe. I empathize. Will you try to get in to have it looked at?

 

[arloiven]

@Anne2023 thank you! and yeah possibly, i have some antibiotics and i'm gonna keep an eye on it. reluctant to go as nearly all of my teeth are damaged in some way and it's really embarrassing and i'm scared what they'll say. just can't catch a break it seems