Don’t Ignore A Dental Abscess

Delaying treatment may not only cause more pain but could have dangerous repercussions

If you have had the misfortune to suffer from a tooth abscess, you will probably know just how painful these can be. Abscesses are a build up of pus in either the tooth or the gum. Essentially, it is an infection, and one that will not go away on its own. You should always seek urgent dental attention if you notice any of the following signs:

• Severe pain in the tooth or gums
• A nasty, prolonged taste in your mouth
• Swelling of the face
• High temperature
• Pain when chewing your food

Even if you have an appointment booked at Alexandra Dental Care in the next week or so, please call us straight away if an abscess develops before then. Not only is this likely to become even more painful if left longer, but the infection can spread to other areas of the body, potentially causing very serious health issues.

Treating an abscess

There are a variety of ways that an abscess can be treated. Our Burton and Ashby dental team will first need to examine you to assess the situation in order to determine the most appropriate treatment for your own case.

One option is to drain the pus when the abscess is located in the gum. For this, a small incision is made and the pus allowed to drain out. The area will then be thoroughly cleaned to remove any bacterial build-up that remains. You may also be prescribed antibiotics to control the issue until further diagnosis and treatment can be carried out.

Sometimes, the above treatment will control the problem, and, with an improved oral health regime, it may not re-occur. Sometimes though, the location of the infection means that further action will need to be taken to prevent problems further down the line.

Root scaling

If, after treating the abscess, it is found that periodontitis (more advanced gum disease) is the cause of it, it may be necessary to perform a ‘deep clean’ in order to remove any build up of bacteria on the tooth root and surrounding bone tissue.

Root canal surgery

It isn’t uncommon for an infected root canal to have caused the abscess. Once the abscess has been dealt with, it may be necessary to perform a root canal procedure to remove the infected soft tissue in the root canals of the tooth. This involves the removal of the top section of the tooth, removal of infected material followed by a thorough cleaning of the now empty root canals. Finally, these will be filled with ‘gutta percha’ a special filling material used specifically for this purpose. In most cases, a crown will be added to complete the tooth restoration.

Extraction

Finally, and the least preferred option at our Swadlincote dental clinic is an extraction of the affected tooth. Although we prefer to restore a tooth wherever possible; if all other options have been ruled out, this is the only option left. We will be pleased to discuss tooth replacement options with you once a tooth has been removed; usually a choice of a denture, a bridge or a dental implant.

If you have an abscess, or even if you suspect you might have but aren’t sure, please don’t ignore it and contact us for an emergency appointment straight away. You can contact Alexandra Dental Care by calling our reception team on 01283 216347.

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