THE ESSENTIAL
- Wisdom teeth are the third molars found at the back of the upper jaw and the lower jaw.
- A person usually has four in their mouth: two up and two down.
Caitlin Alsop might have died following the infection of one of her wisdom teeth. However, at the beginning, the symptoms of this young woman were not characteristic: a small rash, earache, a slight fever and great fatigue. The doctors therefore initially thought it was a cold, especially since his tooth showed no signs of infection. But his condition rapidly deteriorated.
The wisdom tooth was not infected
“I was lying in my bed following dinner, trying to relax, but I felt tired and hot like something was wrong, she explained to FEMAIL. Then one side of my tongue swelled up so much that I mightn’t swallow”.
The young woman therefore went to the hospital where the doctors assumed that she had a serious allergic reaction. “They gave me painkillers and two adrenaline shots and told me I would be gone in 45 minutes.“.
Uncommon symptoms for a wisdom tooth
But the rash continued to progress all over her body. Her heart rate increased and she passed out. The doctors decided to transfer her to the nearest university hospital, so that she might be better taken care of. She was on a ventilator. “Ils (the doctors) told me it was really bad – which was terrifying because I didn’t know if I was going to wake up once more“.
Caitlin Alsop was then plunged into a coma. “They did loads of tests, brought in tropical disease specialists, trying to figure out what was wrong with me, she details. In the end, they found out I had an infected wisdom tooth.”.
Consequences of the extraction of his wisdom tooth
This infected tooth had never shown signs of infection and Caitlin Alsop had good dental health and hygiene. Once the actual problem was diagnosed, the tooth – along with another – was removed. She also received antibiotic treatment to calm the infection.
The young woman still has some consequences: “The tip of my tongue melted so I still have a lisp and had to relearn how to speak and eat”. But she says she is grateful to the medical profession who stopped the infection in time.
She was finally able to return home within three days of coming out of the coma. She was then treated on an outpatient basis and learned to speak and eat once more.
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