If you suffer from swelling on one or both sides of your face, ask a dentist to check your wisdom teeth soon. One or all of your wisdom teeth could be infected. A wisdom tooth infection can cause severe swelling and other symptoms to develop in your face and jaw. Learn how infected wisdom teeth cause facial swelling and other symptoms and what you could possibly do about your wisdom teeth by reading below. 

Why Is Your Face Swollen?

Wisdom teeth grow in the very back of your mouth. If your mouth, jaw, or face is small, your wisdom teeth may not have enough space to break through your gums. As your wisdom teeth struggle to emerge or break through your gums, they can create pressure on the nerves, blood vessels, and jaws. The pressure will eventually lead to painful inflammation and swelling in your face. 

Along with facial swelling, the bacteria inside your mouth and throat may also infect your wisdom teeth. If your wisdom teeth still reside below the gum line, they'll slowly rot inside their tooth sockets. The infected teeth will eventually release a foul odor substance called pus into your mouth. 

If you place a warm, damp cloth on your jaws, you can temporarily alleviate some of your symptoms. But unless you receive treatment from a dentist, your wisdom teeth will continue to wreak havoc on your face and jaw. 

What Should You Do About Your Teeth?

The most important thing a dental provider may do is check the location of your wisdom teeth. If your wisdom teeth sit partially or fully beneath the gums or gum line, a dentist will diagnose you with a condition known as impaction. Impaction occurs when teeth become stuck inside the jawbone or beneath the gum line. You must pull, or extract, an impacted tooth before it completely decays inside the jawbone.

A dentist can extract wisdom teeth manually or surgically. If a dentist diagnoses you with a partial impaction, they'll manually remove your wisdom teeth with forceps. A provider will use the forceps to loosen up your teeth before they pull them out of their sockets. 

If your wisdom teeth are fully impacting the jaw, a dentist may use special surgical tools to extract them. A dentist will use the tools to gently cut through the gum tissue that covers your teeth. After a dentist exposes the crowns, or tops, of your wisdom teeth, they'll remove them. 

You'll receive instructions on how to care for your empty tooth sockets before you leave the office. 

If you need immediate care for your wisdom teeth, schedule your dental appointment today.