Gum Hood Removing (incision) for Wisdom Tooth Pericoronitis

Symptoms

The symptoms of pericoronitis are easily diagnosed through visual examination and typically include:

• Pain and Discomfort: Pain of varying intensity in the area of the wisdom tooth or around it, exacerbated by pressure, chewing, or swallowing.
• Gum Swelling: The area around the tooth is often swollen and inflamed. Severe swelling can make it difficult to open the mouth.
• Increased Sensitivity: Gum inflammation leads to the exposure of sensitive tooth necks and even roots, making them sensitive to heat, cold, and pain during chewing.
• Bad Breath: The accumulation of bacteria results in a characteristic unpleasant odor from the mouth.

Why Pericoronitis is Dangerous

If pericoronitis is not treated in a timely manner, it can lead to serious complications, such as a purulent abscess of the periodontium with the spread of acute bacterial infection to adjacent tissues and teeth (phlegmon), periodontitis, and even infectious damage to bone tissue – osteomyelitis.

How the Gum Excision Operation Proceeds

Without complete elimination of the bacterial spread cause – surgical excision of the gum hood (pericoroniectomy), medication treatment of pericoronitis will only have a temporary effect. Classic treatment only alleviates symptoms but does not solve the problem entirely because the inflammatory process quickly forms again under the hood.

The gum excision operation proceeds as follows:

• After an examination and consultation, the periodontist assesses the condition of the tooth and the surrounding tissues.
• If necessary for a detailed assessment of gum and jawbone involvement, a computed tomography scan is performed.
• If a wisdom tooth is affected by pericoronitis, a decision is made regarding the feasibility of its preservation or possible removal.
• If tooth removal is not required, gum excision, anti-inflammatory therapy, and pain relief are performed.
• Pericoroniectomy – the direct excision of excess gum tissue.