To see if infection will go away on its own?

[LellowYedbetter]

I have a dodgy wisdom tooth. It basically can’t get through the gum properly so is only half cut. However, it doesn’t bormally cause me both apart from flaring up every now and again (gums swell around it).

Anyway it started playing up around 4 days ago. Just became a bit tender ... I assumed it would go away but it won’t, it’s now painful, the gum around it is red and painful and swollen, and the tooth looks a funny colour (like grey!). I think it’s infected as I stuck my finger in it and it smells like rotting flesh. Or like diarrhoea that has bit sat stagnant in a toilet for several days. I’m pretty sure my breath smells like an arsehole too.

As I say it normally clears up by itself but I don’t think this is the same?! It looks weird but I’m scared of the murderous dentist.

AIBU to watch and wait?

I do have photos btw but might be a bit “eww” to post on here

gargle with salt water - I have partially emerged wisdom teeth and occasionally get a bit of tenderness/gum swelling. A salt water gargle always seems to solve it.

You need to see them. You may have an abscess which is unlikely to heal quickly without drainage or antibiotics. Be strong

I'd second the warm salty water. And some Corsodyl mouthwash. But mostly you need to see a dentist asap. Gum and tooth infections can get really nasty.

It's not infected. That's decay. If it's been impacted like that and half erupted for a long time the tooth it's self is probably rotten. It won't go away. Go and see a dentist before you get blood poisoning.

I wouldn’t wait. If it gets any worse you will be in the one hell of a lot of pain and possibly long wait to see a dentist. If it does flare up your GP or hospital won’t help you and dentists have very few emergency appointments.

Let's see the pictures. I had awful time with wisdom teeth coming through took ages and I thought I'd have to have them removed

I’m shitting my sen. I stupidly watched a YouTube thing of wisdom tooth removal last night and now can’t bare to make an appointment.

I had a tooth out a few months ago. They'll give you antibiotics to heal the infection before any other option is looked at. If your dentist is horrid change, I had an awful one and changed and now she's glorious.
Don't leave it, the infection can go into your jaw and you'll end up with all kinds of issues.

I've had this from my impacted wisdom teeth. You'll need antibiotics if it's infected but you could try corsodyl first. One of mine got infected multiple times and I had to have it removed - but they won't do this until any infection has cleared up.

Don't leave it. I have just recovered from TWO WEEKS of having a face like the Elephant Man, where the infection went from the decayed tooth right down to the gum, causing the entire right side if y face and neck to swell alarmingly. I have never known pain like it and was seriously scared I was going to die from sepsis.

My friend had had the same and ended up having a drain put in her jaw.

Go and get the antibiotics, and then get the tooth out.

Teeth lead into the femoral artery, tooth infections can cause - rarely - heart failure &/or an infection in ghe heart valves.

DH has just spent 4 weeks in hospital through an infection caused by a filling which settled in a valve. Nasty business.

Sorry- I mean the infection went into the JAW. I still have a lump there and am now waiting for an operation.

I had a wisdom tooth which got infected several times and had to be removed. The dentist sent me to the hospital for the extraction and it was a simple procedure and over quickly and painlessly

Sorry meant to say please go and see the dentist to get it checked out properly

This is pericoronitis. You need antibiotics. I’ve had it twice and ended up having to have the wisdom tooth out.

Same situation. Went to dentist today. They won't touch it just give you antibiotics. They said I need to go back in a week when it clears to get x-rays and referral to get it taken out as it keeps getting infected last time was Xmas time. Prior to this I'd leave it and it (infection) would go itself but getting more often now.
If I'm honest I likely will put off going back though.

Op I'm extremely dentophobic or at least I was.

Partly horrific 70's dental practices, partly issues with anaesthesia (I'm a hyper metaboliser but most medics don't listen/believe) but my current dentist (also a hyper metaboliser) plus modern techniques mean that I had 2 impacted wisdom teeth removed a few years ago no problem at all.

If nerves are part of the problem talk to them, tell them. There's a lot more understanding now and they won't do anything without your express permission.

I'd not been for over a decade because of the phobia and he was perfectly happy to let me take my mum (yep in my 40's!) to have a couple appointments where nothing was done, he checked me over and discussed what needed to be done, the anaesthesia side (was so relieved to learn he not only understood but had the same problem himself!), we arranged signals for "pause" "stop" "that hurts!" So by the time he was actually doing the work I felt much more comfortable.

Good luck and hope you're sorted soon

I did it myself with corsodyl. My dentist just wanted to remove it but there was nothing wrong with it, I know why it was infected and it was a crisp had gotten wedged in it a few days before. If yours is popping in and out though I’d maybe get seen. What I did was chew a toothbrush, spat out the crap that came out and mouthwashed. Hope you feel better soon