Pulpitis & Root Canal System Infections in Wisdom Teeth

Have you ever wondered what purpose wisdom teeth serve? Anthropologists believe wisdom teeth were the evolutionary answer to our ancestor’s early diet of coarse, rough food—like leaves, roots, nuts and meats—which required more chewing power.* And lack of good dental hygiene back then led to extensive tooth loss, which left plenty of room for wisdom teeth to grow into.**

Nowadays, our diets are softer and easier on our teeth, rendering wisdom teeth more problematic than purposeful. There typically isn’t enough room for wisdom teeth to fully surface, so they remain fully or partially impacted, which can be painful or cause damage to other teeth.*** But even those whose wisdom teeth have grown in without issue have found that these teeth have a high chance of disease and cavities^†—and may have even had to undergo a root canal on a wisdom tooth. 

Pericoronitis, Cavities and Pulpitis: The Road to Root Canal Therapy

Pericoronitis is the inflammation of the gum tissue surrounding partially erupted wisdom teeth, resulting from microbes getting trapped in the space between the tooth and gum.^†† If left untreated, periocoronitis can lead to tooth decay, otherwise known as cavities, which are a very common problem in wisdom teeth.^†† And, as with any other tooth, if left unaddressed, tooth decay can lead to pulpitis.

Pulpitis is an inflammation of the dental pulp inside the tooth. Pulpitis symptoms to look for are:

• Sharp transient pain from hot or cold fluids, or intake of air;
• Pain caused from cold stimulus is relieved by heat, or vice versa;
• Rapid onset of pain from any sugary stimulus or pressure from chewing;
• Pain referred to adjacent teeth; or,
• Pain in the ear or temple region.^†††

If you are experiencing any of these pulpitis symptoms, you are at risk for an infection of the root canal system, and should contact your dental practitioner immediately because you may need a root canal on your wisdom tooth.

The GentleWave^® Procedure: A Wise Choice for a Wisdom Tooth Root Canal

A root canal on a wisdom tooth isn’t as uncommon as you might think. And if you find you might need a root canal and would prefer to keep your tooth, it’s time to seek out a GentleWave Provider near you. The GentleWave Procedure is a minimally invasive¹ alternative to standard root canal treatment that can help you save your tooth and time, as the procedure typically reduces the number of appointments needed from two to one.² The GentleWave Procedure also offers unmatched cleaning capacity by reaching into microscopic spaces^1,3 that standard root canal treatments often cannot,⁴ and helping clinicians achieve a higher level of clean.

Discover more advantages of the GentleWave Procedure or locate a provider at gentlewave.com.

* Scienceline

** The Dental Express

*** Mayo Clinic

^† Quora

^†† Webdento

^††† Scribd