When You Have an Abscessed Tooth
If you’re having tooth pain that won’t go away, there’s a chance it might be an abscessed tooth. Abscessed teeth are painful because they are infected with bacteria. The infection creates a swollen area full of pus, which, if you have ever had abscessed teeth, you know how painful and sensitive that can be.
Causes of an Abscessed Tooth
The short explanation is bacteria get inside your tooth. It does this by entering a cavity, crack, or chip in the tooth. We all have bacteria in our mouths, so proper hygiene is essential (link to the article on how to brush properly here). This is the best way to ensure the bacteria has nowhere to hide in your mouth that you can’t reach, like a cavity or crack.
Symptoms of Abscessed Teeth
Once bacteria enter a tooth’s interiors, pus forms in the mouth at the root of the tooth on the gums. The pocket of pus is the abscess. If you have an abscessed tooth, you can easily see this as a bubble or pimple accompanied by pain.
Before the abscess is visible, the pain will be present in the tooth. For this reason, it’s essential to give attention to a toothache in case it does progress into an abscessed tooth.
Other symptoms of an abscessed tooth include:
- Breath odor
- Bitter taste in the mouth
- Fever
- Pain worsened with chewing
- Swollen glands of the neck
How do I Know if My Toothache is An Abscessed Tooth?
Every toothache does not mean you have an abscessed tooth. The most significant tell-tale sign is the pocket of pus that appears due to the infection at the tooth’s root. If you have pain and an abscess, it is extremely important to see a dentist to avoid spreading the infection.
Do Not Avoid Seeing the Dentist
Being in pain and visiting the dentist can be a scary prospect, but what’s worse is letting the infection advance. Leaving an abscessed tooth untreated can lead to dangerous complications that can be life-threatening in some cases.
If you prolong seeing a dentist to help with abscessed teeth, the possible side effects can be:
Tooth loss—If left untreated, the infection will eat away at the tooth, weakening it
Infection in Surrounding Areas – As with any infection in your body, if left untreated, it can spread. A condition in your mouth can spread to your jawbone, sinuses, and in severe cases, to your heart or brain, which can be fatal.
Treatment of Abscessed Teeth
We will work with you to help you not only fix your abscessed tooth but to help you prevent further discomfort like this. Most often, treatment will include an antibiotic to kill your tooth’s infection and stop it from spreading.
A root canal might be necessary to help eliminate infection and save your tooth. This procedure removes the affected tissue that is causing pain. Although a root canal is no one’s idea of fun, it does lead to pain relief. It tackles the infection—a necessity for abscessed teeth.
Extraction of an abscessed tooth is sometimes necessary if it remains untreated for too long. Please make an appointment with us as soon as you experience a toothache. At least you will know whether it’s an abscessed tooth or not before it leads to bigger issues.
Call us today for an appointment!