Dental Abscesses – Causes And Treatments

Preventative and restorative advice for our Burton patients

As with the majority of dental problems, bar those caused by unexpected accidents, the best way to prevent them from arising is to take good care of your teeth and gums. Regular and diligent brushing at home, combined with the use of floss and regular appointments with the dentist and hygienist at SG Dental and Implant Centre, should help you minimise restorative treatment throughout your life.

Things don’t always work out that way though and poor oral care early on in life may make you more prone to some problems, as can general health issues. For example, diabetics are known to be more likely to suffer from gum disease than a non diabetic. One issue that can arise if you don’t take care of your teeth is the dental abscess, a sometimes very painful problem. Let’s take a closer look at what causes them and how they can be treated.

What is a dental abscess?

An abscess can occur either in the gum or within the structure of the tooth resulting in a collection of pus which is caused by bacteria. In some cases, it can be very painful indeed and even the most nervous patient is likely to call for an emergency appointment if they suffer from one of these.

How do they occur?

In most cases, abscesses occur when bacteria manage to enter the tooth or the gum pockets. As noted earlier, this is less likely to happen if you follow our general oral care advice. Even with good care though, they can occur, though much less likely. Generally, the bacteria will enter a tooth where there is damage, such as decay or a crack in the tooth. This can lead to not only a localised abscess, but also a spreading of the infection to other parts of the body, so it is very important to have it treated as soon as possible.

Potential symptoms

Although it is possible to have an abscess that is not too painful initially, it will almost certainly become so and anyone who has experienced this level of pain would tell you to get it treated at the very first sign. The following are some of the things you should look out for.

• A painful toothache which spreads to the jaw and the neck
• Discomfort when chewing or when eating or drinking hot and cold food and drinks
• Facial or gum swelling
• Very bad breath
• The presence of pus, or if not visible, a really bad taste in the mouth

Some of these symptoms, such as bad breath, can be a sign of a different problem; in this case gum disease, but you should always have it checked at our Burton dental clinic as soon as possible to prevent any problems from worsening whether an abscess or not.

Treating an abscess

The type of treatment that might be used where any abscess is present will depend on the circumstances. Will will need to examine you and take x-rays etc to determine the problem, but these are some of the most likely solutions.

Antibiotics

In some instances you may be prescribed antibiotics. This is often not the only solution but can make its treatment more effective. As with any type of antibiotic, you should always complete the course, even if the symptoms improve.

Drainage

Often, we will make a small incision, where the abscess is located in the gum area, in order to drain the pus from it. The area will usually then be cleaned with a saline solution.

Root canal surgery

Where an abscess is present in the soft pulp in the root canals of the teeth, you will very likely need to have a tooth canal procedure. This involves the removal of the infected pulp and the tooth will then be filled and in most cases, have a crown attached to restore it.

Remember that while you can take painkillers to reduce the discomfort, this only offers some relief and doesn’t resolve the problem. Even if the pain goes away, you still need to see a dentist.

Finally, remember that an untreated abscess will almost certainly become more painful, but perhaps even more importantly, it can spread to other areas and become very serious for your health. Sepsis is one possible outcome of ignoring an abscess. This can lead to organ failure and even death in some cases.  It really isn’t worth the risk and even if you dread seeing the dentist about it, remember that you will be in safe hands with us and it could even save your life!

As we stated at the start of this blog, good oral care is very important and we are here to help you with that. We offer not only preventative and restorative treatments though, and anyone looking to improve their smile may also wish to take advantage of the cosmetic dental procedures that we can offer. If you would like to find out more about us or would like to arrange an appointment, you can call SG Dental and Implant Centre today on 01283 845345.