A dental abscess is a painful infection that can develop in the root of a tooth, or right in between the gum and the tooth. It can be caused by severe tooth decay or trauma to the tooth for example if it has broken or chipped. It can also be due to gum disease. All these problems allow bacteria to get into the tooth, infecting the very central part of the tooth which is called the pulp. The pulp contains the nerves of the tooth, and this is why an abscess can be painful.
Common symptoms include:
- Pain while biting or chewing on the tooth
- Bad breath
- An unpleasant taste
- Red or swollen gums
- Swollen jaw
- Feeling generally unwell
- Fever
- Swollen neck glands
Sometimes the pain may stop, and it could be tempting to think the infection has cleared up on its own. Unfortunately this cannot happen, and is more likely to mean the nerves in the tooth have died. It is important to see your dentist if you experience tooth pain or any of the other symptoms listed above.
Diagnosing and Treating a Dental Abscess
Your dentist will easily be able to diagnose an abscessed tooth through visually examining your tooth, and by taking dental x-rays. Treatment will center on eliminating the infection through draining the abscess. This is usually done through performing a root canal treatment which removes the dead or dying pulp, and clears out all the bacteria. Sometimes it is necessary to make a small incision in the gum to allow the abscess to drain. Antibiotics are prescribed to help fight the remaining infection. It is not always possible to save badly abscessed teeth, and in this case it might be necessary to extract the tooth to allow the abscess to drain.
