When an abscess forms, it means you have an active infection that needs treatment right away. Whether it is resulting from poorly treated decay or bacteria, professional dental help is necessary. Call Broadway Family Dental today and schedule an appointment with our board-certified dentist Dr. Ella Dekhtyar to learn about dental abscesses and their treatment. Dr. Dekhtyar examines your teeth and gums carefully to look for signs of abscess and recommends the best ways to treat the underlying infection and stop it from spreading to other teeth. She also recommends oral hygiene practices and ensures you know the right ways to care for your teeth to prevent abscesses from developing.
An abscessed tooth can cause agonizing pain and affect your normal routine. Not treating an abscessed tooth can lead to potentially severe complications that cause a lot of pain as well as expensive treatment. However, timely cure can reduce your symptoms in a few days, and home remedies can lessen the severity of the infection as you wait to see the dentist.
What Is a Tooth Abscess?
A tooth abscess is a serious infection in the tooth’s pulp, the bundle of nerves and blood vessels in the center of each tooth. It is caused by a bacterial infection in the space between the teeth and gums, and even in the bone that holds the teeth in place, and develops around the root tip or in the gum area the tooth root area.
The pus from the infection can build up under the gum, forming a pocket, and causes a noticeable swelling. An abscessed tooth causes moderate to severe pain that can sometimes radiate to the gums, jawbone, and even your ear or neck. A gum abscess differs in source and location since it starts in a pocket in the gum that is next to the root but outside of the tooth.
Timely dental treatment, such as draining the abscess and addressing the underlying issue, is crucial as infections can be unpredictable and rapidly spread, causing intense pain. Visiting your dentist regularly and having your teeth and gums examined is necessary for preventing the development of dental abscesses.
Read on to learn more about the causes and symptoms of dental abscess and how to care for it, preventing pain and further complications.
Causes of Tooth Abscess
A tooth abscess is caused by bacteria that spread to the gum surrounding the tooth or to the tooth pulp, as a result of tooth decay or gum disease. However, the way this happens depends on various factors.
Risk factors that may lead to dental abscess include:
- Poor oral hygiene
- Injury to tooth or mouth
- Too much intake of sugary foods and beverages like colas and juices that results in tooth decay
- Pre-existing dental problems like gum disease or periodontal disease
- Unsuccessful dental treatment such as a root canal, implant, or filling
- Mouth dryness
- Addiction to alcohol
- Weak Immune system
- Diabetes, bacterial cellulitis, gastric reflux, and other diseases
- Smoking
Symptoms of Tooth Abscess
Intense pain in the teeth or gums is the most obvious symptom of tooth abscess. The pain develops quickly and worsens. It can also impact other areas, including the ear, jaw, and neck on the same side as the affected tooth.
Other symptoms include:
- Swollen, inflamed red gums
- Open sores on the gum
- A small bump or gumboil near the infected tooth on either the inside or outside of the gums
- Facial swelling
- Bitter taste in the mouth
- Pain while chewing
- Persistent sensitivity to cold and cold foods and drinks
- Halitosis
- Fever
- A general feeling of being unwell
- Foul breath
- Neck lymph node swelling
- Jaw muscle spasm
If an abscess ruptures, you will feel almost immediate pain relief. At the same time, you may also notice a sudden bad taste in your mouth as the pus drains out.
Care Tips for a Dental Abscess
A tooth abscess will not go away without dental treatment. Treatment focuses on clearing up the infection and relieving pain. You must schedule an appointment with your dentist if you have any symptoms of an abscessed tooth for proper care.
Here are some important care tips to prevent the infection from spreading to other parts of the body and stop severe toothache.
1. Seek Dental Treatment Right Away
Call your dentist and describe your symptoms. Never ignore or delay treatment if you have an infection or symptoms that indicate an infection. Proper treatment of a dental abscess will cure the infection and, keep it from affecting other areas and causing further damage. Your dentist may treat the abscess by performing a root canal, draining the infection by making a small cut in the abscess, or even removing the tooth in severe cases.
2. Focus on Fighting the Infection Immediately
There are many things you can do to fight the infection while you wait to see the dentist. There are natural antibiotics as well as natural remedies you can use at home to ease the pain and reduce the severity of the infection.
Rinsing your mouth with salt water or baking soda and salt water solution, grinding, and applying garlic paste gently to the affected tooth or gum are effective ways to alleviate dental abscess symptoms. Applying a cold compress to the aching tooth relieves inflammation and alleviates dental pain. You can boost your body’s immune system by taking vitamin C.
3. Draw the Infection Out
It is not safe to pop an abscess on your own, and you should never do anything that can damage your tooth or gum. However, there are ways to help the abscess drain naturally on its own by pulling the infection out. You can do this by using a tea bag or making a paste out of baking soda and applying it to the affected area.
4. Keep down the Inflammation and Relieve the Pain
As you wait for your dentist’s appointment, it is better to start taking over-the-counter medication to reduce inflammation and keep the pain down. Rinsing your mouth with salt water solution multiple times a day will not only relieve the pain but also help reduce bacteria and fight the infection.
5. Find the Cause behind the Infection
It is essential to have your abscess medically examined to find out the cause behind the infection, even if you are feeling better. The abscess does not go away on its own. It must be checked, drained, and treated by a trained dentist.
6. Get Started on Antibiotics
The dentist will recommend antibiotics to treat the infection. He will monitor your symptoms and make sure your problem is resolved with the help of a root canal or extraction. Remember, medicine alone will not cure the abscessed tooth. The tooth is the source of infection, and it has to be dealt with properly.
7. Learn Good Oral Hygiene to Prevent Future Abscesses
Maintaining good oral hygiene is significant for preventing future abscesses and maintaining strong, healthy teeth. A tooth abscess is very serious and can be life-threatening if you are not careful. Thus, you need to find a good dentist to save your teeth from decay.
Even if your abscess ruptures, have the area examined and cleaned by the dentist to make sure the infection does not cause any long-term health complications.
A tooth abscess can be painful, but it is treatable. You can start feeling better after consulting a good dentist who takes care of your infected tooth with the right treatment. If you are having any symptoms of tooth abscess or feel pain or swelling in your gum, contact Broadway Family Dental and set up an appointment with Dr. Ella Dekhtyar for the best dental care. She will discuss all treatment options for a dental abscess and determine the best solution to ensure you enjoy strong, healthy teeth and excellent oral health for years to come.
Broadway Family Dental
1152 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY 11221
(Bushwick, Williamsburg, Bedford-Stuyvesant)
(718) 455-4400