Sometimes pain can be present in the mouth and you may be unsure where this is coming from. One of the potential causes of this discomfort can be an abscess. A tooth abscess is a sac of pus that forms as a result of an infection. Bacteria enters the tooth and gums, leading to inflammation. The three most frequent types of abscess that can appear in the mouth are:
- Periapical: This abscess is at the tip of the tooth root. Most times this may show up because of an injury or a cavity not being treated. Bacteria gets into the tooth’s pulp through the cavity. Pulp is the soft center of the tooth that is made up of connective tissues, nerves, and blood vessels.
- Periodontal: This abscess occurs on the gums near the root of a tooth, having the potential of spreading to the neighboring bone and tissue. Injury can induce this, but the primary culprit of this is usually gum disease.
- Gingival: This abscess develops on the gums. Foreign bodies like food particles or parts of an object that are stuck in the gums is the origin of this.
Tooth Abscess Symptoms
The clearest symptom of an abscess is throbbing pain that persists in the tooth and gums. This pain can be moderate to severe, and spread from these areas down to the neck. Other symptoms of a tooth abscess include:
- Pain that is felt in the jawbone, ear, and/or neck
- Pain when eating (chewing or biting)
- Increased sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures
- Facial swelling
- Fever
- Lymph nodes that are swollen or feel tender
- Pain relief (from a ruptured abscess), this is usually also accompanied by an unpleasant taste and liquid in your mouth from the draining of the abscess
Tooth Abscess Treatment
To prevent further infection, it is important to promptly treat an abscessed tooth. There are different ways for your Dental Made Easy dentist to remedy this issue depending on what works best for each patient. First, your dentist may take an X-ray to examine the area thoroughly and see if the infection has spread to other areas. After this one of these treatment options would be selected:
- Draining the abscess: A small incision is made to drain the pus out of the abscess. Following this, a solution is used to clean the area.
- Root canal: This removes the pulp that led to the infection and aids in draining the abscess as well.
- Tooth extraction: A tooth has undergone too much trauma and is no longer functional may be removed. After the removal of the tooth, the dentist will have the access to drain the abscess.
- Antibiotics: This may be offered to a patient whose infection has spread and may have a compromised immune system. A prescription of antibiotics can help in clearing the infection.
- Foreign body removal: Whatever object that might be lodged in the gums would be removed by your dental professional.
A tooth abscess can be very painful and needs to be dealt with as soon as possible to prevent any further damage to the teeth. The dental professionals at Dental Made Easy are equipped to help you if you are experiencing this. You can book an appointment today by calling (844) 979-EASY!
Your Dental Health
When it comes to your health, trust in the dentists at Dental Made Easy. Dental Made Easy has the best dental practices in New York City and we are open on Sundays as well as late evenings. All of our dental offices are open and accepting new patients at this time. We are rated among the top dental practices in New York, NY with numerous 5-star reviews on Google, Yelp, and Facebook. For a teeth cleaning or exam, we recommend calling or booking an appointment online with one of our talented dental professionals. All new patients may also take advantage of our $149 Cleaning Special that includes an exam and x-rays of our Free Dental Implant Consultation Special.
To set up your appointment give us a call at (844) 979-EASY (3279). We have offices in Forest Hills, Queens, Little Caribbean, Brooklyn and Garden City, Long Island. Walk-ins welcomed, we take emergencies and we are open on late nights to accommodate patients with a busy schedule. We hope to see you soon!
