Dental Abscess - An Overview

A dental abscess is a pocket of pus usually caused by a bacterial infection. The abscess can occur at different regions of the tooth for different reasons. It may occur at the tip of the root. A periapical tooth abscess can occur as a result of an untreated dental cavity, an injury or prior dental work. A dental abscess should be taken care of as soon as possible otherwise it can be extremely serious, even life-threatening.

Dental Abscess Symptoms

The most common signs and symptoms of a dental abscess are as follows:

• Fever
• Sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures
• Swelling in your face or cheek
• Sensitivity to the pressure of chewing or biting
• Severe, persistent, throbbing toothache that can radiate to the jawbone, neck or ear
• Tender, swollen lymph nodes under your jaw or in your neck
• Sudden rush of foul-smelling and foul-tasting, salty fluid in your mouth
• Pain relief if the abscess ruptures

If you have some/any/all of the above symptoms, consult a doctor immediately.

Dental Abscess Risk factors

You may be at a higher risk of a tooth abscess if you have:

• Poor dental hygiene: If you do not take proper care of your teeth and gums, not brush your teeth or floss regularly, you are at a higher risk of tooth decay, gum disease, tooth abscess, and other dental and mouth complications.
• A diet rich in sugar: Eating and drinking foods rich in sugar very often can put at risk of getting to dental cavities that may turn into a tooth abscess.

Dental Abscess Diagnosis

In order to confirm your diagnosis of a dental abscess, your dentist will first thoroughly examine the affected area of the mouth. For this, he may:

• Tap on your teeth: A tooth that has an abscess at its root is generally sensitive to touch or pressure.
• Recommend an X-ray: An X-ray of the aching tooth can help identify an abscess
• Recommend a CT scan: If the abscess has spread to other areas within the neck, a CT scan may be scan may be recommended

Dental Abscess Treatment

For treatment, your doctor may:

• Perform a root canal treatment
• Prescribe antibiotics
• Open up (incise) and drain the abscess
• Pull out the affected tooth