What is it?

A tooth abscess is a pocket of puss which is caused by a bacterial infection. It can happen for different reasons. It can also occur at different parts of the tooth. It may occur at the tip of the root, and it can also occur in the gums next to a tooth root. It may happen because of an untreated dental cavity, an injury or a prior dental work.

Symptoms

Some of the common symptoms of tooth abscess include

• Severe and persistent throbbing toothache. It may reach your jawbone, ear and neck
• Sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures
• Fever
• Sensitivity to the pressure of achieving or biting
• Swelling in the face or cheek
• Sudden rush of false smelling and foul tasting salty liquid in the mouth
• Tender, swollen lymph nodes

See your doctor

You should immediately see a dentist if you find any signs of symptoms of a tooth abscess. The above-mentioned symptoms of the most common and you can see if you are suffering from any of those symptoms. Do not wait long and immediately see a dentist because it needs immediate treatment. If you have a fever and swelling in the face or if you have trouble breathing or swallowing, you should immediately go to an emergency room. You need to see a doctor immediately because these are the symptoms which may indicate that the infection has spread to your jaw and the surrounding areas and to your body.

Causes

A periapical abscess (one that occurs at the tip of the root) will, if bacteria invade the dental pulp. This pulp is the innermost part of the tooth and contains blood vessels, nerves and connective tissues. The bacteria may enter through a dental cavity or a crack or chip in the tooth. It can spread to the root of the tooth. In case of bacterial infection you will see swelling and inflammation of the tip of the root.

Risk factors

There are certain risk factors associated with tooth abscess.

Poor dental hygiene

If you do not take care of your teeth and gums, dude abscess may happen. If you do not brush your teeth twice a day and do not floss, it will increase the possibility of decay, gum disease, good abscess and other dental and mouth problems.

High sugar diet

If you consume a high sugar diet, it can also increase the possibility of tooth abscess. If you eat and drink foods which contain high levels of sugar, for example sweets and sodas, then they may cause dental cavities and may result in a tooth abscess.

Treatment is important

A tooth abscess will not heal itself and it will not go away without treatment. When the abscess ruptures, even though the pain may reduce significantly, but remember that you will still need dental treatment. In cases when the abscess does not drain, the infection may spread to other areas of your body including your jaw, areas of your neck and head. In some cases, some people may even develop sepsis, which is a life-threatening infection which can spread throughout the body. It is more important for people with weakened immune system to get the tooth abscess treated immediately because if the tooth abscess is untreated, the possibility of spread of the infection increases manifold and it can result in different other health problems for you. The treatment of dude abscess is simple with the right dentist and you should go and see him/her immediately.

References

1. Tooth Abscess Relief
2. Tooth abscess
3. Tooth abscess