Dental Abscess and How to Treat It
If you have a toothache or a cavity that just gives you an occasional discomfort, don’t ignore it! Ignoring a toothache could prove to be more hazardous to your health then you think. A prolonged toothache, tooth infection or cavity could lead to dental abscess.Dental abscess is a mouth infection that starts in the mouth and can spread to the face, jaw and throat. Bad dental hygiene and care is the primary cause and if left untreated, this could prove to be a very painful situation.
How Do You Know If You Have Dental Abscess
- When you leave a cavity untreated, the bacteria from it could infect other areas such as the gums and move on to the cheeks, throat and in severe cases right into the jaw. Once the tissues become infected and inflamed, the whole area becomes extremely painful.
- The infected site is filled with pus and becomes increasingly painful unless you seek treatment. The dentist will then drain the pus surgically. If you still do not seek treatment then the abscess is likely to burst on its own.
- Your gums will become tender to the touch and you might find yourself cringing in pain when trying to open the mouth.
- In extreme cases, where the infection has spread to the throat, the swelling can block the airway which leads to breathing difficulty.
- Fever, nausea, chills, vomiting and sweating can also be caused by severe dental abscess.
Do not wait until your abscess progresses to the point of severe pain. Seek treatment as soon as you suspect that you have dental abscess or if you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above.
What Will Your Dentist Do
Normally the symptoms mentioned above are enough to indicate to a dentist that you suffer from dental abscess. However he will still perform a physical examination to determine if the abscess has burst or if they are still intact.He might also order for an x-ray to detect small abscess that are embedded deep in the tooth. The infection can only be cured once the pus has been drained. Therefore your dentist will perform any or all of the following depending on the severity of the dental abscess -:
- If the abscess has ruptured by itself, the dentist will then prescribe some pain killers to relieve pain and if necessary some antibiotics for the infection
- For abscesses that have not ruptured, the dentist will then proceed to drain the pus by making an incision on the abscess. This will be topped with pain killers and antibiotics if necessary
- In severe cases where the abscess has spread to the neck or floor of the mouth, then the only option is to perform a surgery under anaesthesia to drain the pus.
It is always best that you practice proper dental hygiene in order to avoid dental abscess or any other dental problems. Brushing your teeth after every meal or at least twice a day and flossing are crucial for good oral hygiene.
Visiting your dentist once or twice a year is also advisable to keep away dental problems and to tackle problems early. It is also important that you visit your dentist the minute that you suspect that you have a problem with your teeth. Early detection will stop the problem from becoming worse.