Wisdom tooth extraction is one of the most common procedures in a dental office. If everything goes well, the patient should not have any major issues after the tooth has been extracted especially if they follow the dentist’s orders.
However, more often than not, a low-grade fever will develop a few hours after a tooth extraction especially if the tooth was badly infected or the extraction was invasive. This happens because the body is trying to fight off the infection and start the healing process and the fever should go away in a few days.
Unfortunately, in some rare cases, the fever can go from low grade to scary in a matter of hours. While a little fever after dental work is expected, here is why you should rush back to your dentist if the fever persists;
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Wound Infection
Tooth extraction leaves an open wound that is susceptible to all kinds of infections. The mouth is home to a lot of harmful bacteria that can gain access to your open wound and cause an infection which is characterized by fever, chills, and pain. Such an infection means that your wound is not going to heal as fast as expected and you might not be able to enjoy the relief you expected or even eat solid foods.
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Endocarditis
Did you know that dental work can cause a heart attack and even death? Following a tooth extraction, a bacterial infection can occur and release bacteria to the bloodstream through the open wound. If this infection gets to the interior lining of the heart, a condition known as endocarditis occurs and it is characterized by fever, chills, shortness of breath and fatigue. However, endocarditis only happens if the patient has a pre-existing deformity in the heart and it can lead to heart failure and death if not treated early.
You can try to prevent a wound infection by swooshing salty water every few hours to kill germs, maintaining oral hygiene and doing everything the doctor told you to do after the extraction. If you notice high fever, fatigue, and pain, see your dentist promptly for further assistance.
If you’re near Finesse Dental clinic, the dentists from Blacktown, NSW can help you. Click on the link to visit their site.
