Dental Advice faq from Seattle Area Dentist

Since your wisdom teeth are already visible, they are probably only partially impacted. This partial eruption of the teeth often leads to inflammation of the gums around the teeth, known as 'pericoronitis'. It can be quite painful at times and may be what causes your teeth or gums to 'flame up', as you say. Though I can not tell you without seeing you, I suspect that you may be putting your health at risk by subjecting your body to a chronic low grade infection. Also, if the teeth are even partially impacted, they can cause the other teeth to shift over the years, including crowding of the front teeth. Such teeth are also very susceptible to getting cavities due to difficulty with cleaning them. I hope this helps! Please feel free to e-mail me or call our office with any further questions or to schedule an appointment. At your first appointment, we will take xrays and examine your teeth. If it looks like you have pericoronitis, I may prescribe an antibiotic for you prior to extracting your tooth.