Can Wisdom Teeth Cause A Sore Throat? What You Need To Know!

Do you have an unexplained sore throat? Wondering if your wisdom teeth could be the culprit? At Thrive Family Dental, our dentists in Wilmington want to empower you to make the right decisions for your oral health, so we’re giving you all the information you need to make informed choices when it comes to wisdom teeth. Heres everything you need to know about the connection between sore throats and wisdom teeth:

Understanding Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth are our final set of 4 molars and they usually erupt around the ages of 17-25, though some people may get them earlier or later. Though wisdom teeth are a natural part of our mouths, most people do not have enough space in their gums or jaw to accommodate them. 

For this reason, it’s likely that your wisdom teeth will not grow into your mouth properly. This can cause them to become “impacted.” Impacted wisdom teeth may erupt only partially from your gums, and cause a variety of different oral health issues.

An Impacted Wisdom Tooth Could Cause A Sore Throat

When a wisdom tooth does not erupt fully, it may be more prone to infection. Food particles, plaque and bacteria may build up around the flap of gum tissue surrounding your tooth. It’s hard to clean an impacted tooth properly, so this can lead to a tooth infection, or “abscess.” 

An abscessed tooth can cause significant pain, and can also cause bacteria to spread throughout your mouth, resulting in a sore throat. This is the most common with the lower wisdom teeth.

You may notice other symptoms, too. An infected wisdom tooth may cause headaches and jaw pain and tenderness. You may even see visibly red, inflamed, swollen tissue near the affected tooth. In severe cases, you may even develop a fever and have trouble opening your mouth or swallowing.

The best option for treating an infected wisdom tooth is to extract the tooth and clean the underlying socket and tissue to remove bacteria. Once your tooth has been removed, your symptoms will disappear, and your mouth will heal quickly.

Need Help With Troublesome Wisdom Teeth? Come To Thrive Family Dental! 

At Thrive Family Dental, Dr. Friberg is always here to help with wisdom tooth extractions in Porters Neck and Wilmington. If you believe your wisdom tooth may need to be removed, schedule a consultation right away. A severely infected wisdom tooth qualifies as a dental emergency, and we can give you same-day care. You can give us a call at (910) 240-4797 or stop by our office at 8115 Market Street, Wilmington, NC 28411 to make an appointment.