Dental Abscess

Definition

The formation of pus inside the tooth, gums, or in the bone that holds the tooth is called dental abscess. Pus is a yellowish/ whitish-yellow protein rich liquid consisting of dead white blood cells.

It is your body’s way of telling you that there is an infection in your mouth that has to be attended to right away.

There are two kinds of dental abscess – periapical ( occurs at the root of the tooth) and periodontal (occurs in the gums).

Causes

A dental abscess can be caused by one or two of the following:

• Dead/dying nerve/and or pulp
• Severe tooth decay
• Gum disease
• Infection from poor dental work
• Food stuck in between teeth

Symptoms

Dental abscess can form very quickly. They develop one or two days after the infection begins. They do not go away on their own and can linger from months to years, spreading to other areas in the mouth.

Aside from the visible pus in the affected are, the following are the symptoms that you have dental pus:

• Bad breath
• Red and swollen gums
• Red and swollen cheeks
• Bitter taste in the mouth
• Difficulty in eating
• Fever
• Enlarged neck glands

First Aid Steps

As noted, a dental abscess will not simply go away on its own, nor can you treat it by yourself. The best thing to do to prevent it from worsening, is to visit your dentist.

However in the event of a dental abscess, here’s what you can do before visiting your dentist:

• Prepare a lukewarm salt-water solution.
• Dissolve ½ teaspoon of salt to eight ounces of water. Use this as mouth rinse several times a day.
• Make sure, by brushing and flossing gently, that there is no food stuck in your teeth.
• Do not put aspirin on gums as this can only burn them.
• Press a cold compress on your cheek to reduce swelling.
• Visit your dentist immediately.

Treatment At Golden Square Dental

Knowing the cause of the dental abscess is important in the overall treatment process. Treating the cause means treating the dental abscess as well. Otherwise a new dental abscess would only form.

Your local dentist at Golden Square Dental may do the following:

• Tooth extraction
• Antibiotics
• Periodontal surgery
• Root Canal Treatment

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Golden Square Dental, your trusted local dentist in Golden Square, solves dental emergencies for you and your loved ones. Stop the pain and visit your local dentist today!