Main Differences Between an Infected Tooth and Impacted Tooth

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One thing that people have trouble distinguishing is the difference between an infected tooth and an impacted tooth. An impacted tooth is one that fails to emerge from the gum. Instead of growing upwards, it grows sideways. As a result, a lot of impacted tooth end up becoming infected. The most common tooth that becomes impacted is the wisdom tooth. If you have an impacted wisdom tooth, it can cause a lot of problems later in life it isn’t extracted. First, it can grow into your third molar tooth, which in turn, can cause both teeth to become infected.

So how does a tooth become impacted? One of the main reasons it occurs is due to overcrowding. Basically, there is no room for the tooth to emerge so it starts growing at a weird angle. At first, impacted wisdom teeth don’t cause any major pain. However, once the impacted tooth starts to push against the adjacent tooth, you will start to feel some discomfort. If an impacted tooth is partially emerged, that is when the chances of infection increases. Food, plaque, and other types of junk can start to grow within the partially emerged area and if it isn’t cleaned on a regular basis, an infection can occur.

So how can you tell the difference between an impacted tooth and an infected tooth? First, an impacted tooth normally occurs where the wisdom teeth are located so if you are feeling pain elsewhere, you are most likely dealing with an infected one. If you are feeling some pain where the wisdom teeth are located, here are some clues that will help you differentiate.

First, check if you have gum swelling around the area. Inflammation usually indicates that you are affected by some sort of infection. However, it may be the case that you are affected by gum disease, and not a teeth infection. People with infected teeth also tend to see a bit of blood in their saliva. Most teeth get infected due to things such as cavities. Therefore, it is very important that you see a dentist on a regular basis to make sure no cavities have formed on your teeth. Cavities can expose the underlying structure of the tooth such as the pulp and nerves. It is important that you have those holes filled with composite fillings as soon as possible so they don’t get infected.

Both an infected tooth and an impacted tooth share similar symptoms so it is sometimes hard to tell what you are affected by. If you haven’t had your wisdom teeth extracted yet, the best scenario is to visit the dentist and have an x-ray taken. This will give you a clear indication of what you are affected by.