What will the er do for an abscess tooth

A tooth abscess is a painful and serious dental emergency. An abscess is a pus producing bacterial infection that causes pain and swelling, which needs immediate attention. The infection occurs in or around the root of a tooth that contains blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue. The abscess can also occur between the gum and tooth.

Tooth abscess is most commonly caused by advanced tooth decay or damage, which may originate from a chipped or broken tooth that becomes infected, worn enamel that allows bacteria to enter the tooth, or an untreated dental cavity. Long-term, untreated periodontal (gum) disease can also cause an abscess, especially in the advanced form of this oral health condition called periodontitis. In very serious cases, the infection from the tooth abscess spreads out from the root of the tooth to the bones in the jaw supporting the teeth, which can lead to tooth loss or allow the infection to spread throughout the body.

Signs & Symptoms of Tooth Abscess

You should seek treatment for a tooth abscess as soon as possible to avoid the spread of this infection. Some of the warning signs that indicate you’re dealing with tooth abscess include the following:

• A severe toothache or tooth pain with dull pressure, aching, and throbbing or sharp pain
• Fever
• Pain with or without chewing
• Redness and swelling of the gums
• In advanced infections, swelling of the jaw
• Sensitivity of the teeth to temperature change – hot or cold
• An open, draining sore in the gums that may also cause a bitter taste in the mouth
• Bad breath

Treatment Options for a Tooth Abscess

Treatment for tooth abscess will be customized to address your specific needs, but in most cases, we will use some combination of the following treatments:

Drain the abscess

The most effective way to treat an abscessed or infected tooth is to drain off the infection. A small incision into the abscess will help the pus drain out. The dentist may also debride and irrigate or wash the area of infection with saline. Debridement is removal of dead or necrotic tissue that will never heal.

Antibiotic therapy

It is not always easy or even possible to drain the abscess. A serious dental infection can “neutralize” the effects of local anesthetics making it very difficult to numb the patient for treatment. Infected lower molars are especially difficult to numb in the presence of a serious infection. In these cases, a patient needs to be placed on an appropriate antibiotic to reduce the infection, so the local anesthetics can be effective for comfortable treatment.

Root canal

A root canal is a dental procedure to remove the nerve, arteries and vein in the center of the tooth root. In an infected tooth, a root canal can help remove infection and drain the abscess. When the infection heals, the tooth is restored with a crown to increase the strength and preserve the tooth.

Tooth extraction

If the infected tooth can’t be saved, it will be extracted to drain the abscess and promote healing of the infection.

Hospitalization

If there is increased swelling or fever despite antibiotic administration and other treatments, the dental patient may need to be seen in a hospital setting. We’ll need to partner with a local oral surgeon who has hospital privileges in these cases, but we will be your advocate every step of the way to ensure you don’t get “lost” in the hospital emergency room, dealing with physicians who may not have the expertise to handle the situation.

Is a Tooth Abscess Considered a Dental Emergency?

Tooth abscess is absolutely a dental emergency. If you have a tooth abscess, you need to seek treatment immediately. Left untreated, abscess can lead to infection that spreads through the body causing serious and even life-threatening effects. The sooner these issues are treated the better!

When Should I Visit the Dentist for Tooth Abscess?

If you notice any of the symptoms of tooth abscess listed above, you should come in to see us as soon as possible, and we will make every effort to set aside a same day appointment for you. Because of the dangers associated with tooth abscess, one of our dentists may even recommend coming into the office outside of regular hours. Don’t wait for the pain or infection to spread. Get help right away.

Meet McCarl Dental Group

The dentists at McCarl Dental Group take care of patients with dental emergencies every day at our Greenbelt, Maryland dental office. We provide same day emergency dental care to patients with pain from dental infections. Many patients who need emergency dentistry treatment are new to our dental office, and we are happy to help! If you’re in need of emergency dentistry services, call our dental office in Greenbelt, MD right way.

I want to talk to you about a common dental emergency that can lead to severe complications if not treated promptly by an emergency dentist. I’m talking about a tooth abscess.

What is a tooth abscess?

A tooth abscess is a pocket of pus caused by an infection of the tooth and can occur in different areas of the tooth. A periapical abscess is an abscess that occurs at the tip of the root of the tooth.

A periapical tooth abscess is caused by an untreated dental cavity, trauma, or previous dental work that has failed. Bacteria invade the dental pulp – the innermost part of the tooth that contains the blood vessels, nerves, and tissue. Bacteria can enter the pulp through a dental cavity or a crack in the tooth and spread all the down to the root, causing swelling and inflammation at the tip of the root.

Tooth abscess signs and symptoms

Signs and Symptoms of a tooth abscess may include:

• Severe, persistent toothache that may radiate along the side of the face, neck, jaw, and ear
• Sensitivity to cold and hot temperatures
• Pain to pressure from chewing or biting
• Fever and lethargy
• Tender, swollen lymph nodes under the jaw or in your neck
• A rush of foul-smelling and foul-tasting fluid in your mouth and sudden pain relief, if the abscess ruptures.
• Difficulty opening and closing the mouth
• Difficulty breathing or swallowing 

How to treat a tooth abscess

See your dentist right away if you have any signs or symptoms of a tooth abscess. If you have difficulty swallowing, breathing, or fever and swelling in your face and you can’t reach the dentist, go straight to an urgent care center or emergency room.

Your dentist may put you on antibiotics to treat the infection. He or she may drain the abscess to help get rid of the infection.

A root canal treatment may be needed if the tooth is restorable. Otherwise, the tooth may need an extraction.

Note: Leaving a tooth abscess untreated can lead to serious, even life-threatening complications. 

The stages of a tooth abscess

A tooth abscess starts local to the tooth and surrounding gum area. The abscess may rupture but you will still need to see your dentist for treatment.

The abscess could spread to the jaw and surrounding areas of your head and neck. You may have a swollen face, or your eye may swell shut. If left untreated, you may even develop sepsis – a life-threatening infection that spreads throughout your whole body. 

Tooth abscess at-home remedy?

Some people may try to treat a tooth abscess at home if they’re afraid of the dentist or can’t afford dental treatment. Please do not try to pull out your tooth or treat the tooth abscess yourself as this can be dangerous and make the problem worse. 

Please see your dentist immediately. At Thrive Dental, we provide same-day emergency dental visits so we can get you out of pain as quickly as possible.

Here are some temporary solutions to help relieve some of the pain at home until you get in to see your dentist.

Cold Compress

Try holding a cold compress against the side of the face by the area affected. Apply the compress for 20 minutes at a time. And use a towel as a barrier to protect your skin.

Benzocaine

Benzocaine is a topical anesthetic that can help relieve tooth and gum pain. Apply the 20% benzocaine to the tooth and gum area affected every 2 hours. Do not use benzocaine for children under age 2.

OTC Pain Meds

If you don’t have stomach issues or contraindicating health conditions, you can take up to three tabs of over-the-counter ibuprofen every 4-6 hours as needed for temporary pain and inflammation relief.

Tea Bag

Some teas like Peppermint and Chamomile have calming and antibacterial qualities that can help reduce tooth abscess pain. For mild pain relief, hold a wet tea bag to the affected area.

Clove Oil

An essential oil like clove oil may offer short-term pain relief for a tooth abscess. Studies have shown clove oil may almost be as effective as benzocaine for toothache relief.

Make sure to always use a carrier oil tp prevent chemical burns to the delicate tissues of the mouth.

In Conclusion

A tooth abscess is an infection of the mouth that can spread into the surrounding areas of the body and requires emergency dental care.

Signs and symptoms of a tooth abscess include: severe, persistent, radiating pain along the face and neck, swelling, fever, difficulty eating, breathing, and swallowing.

The tooth abscess stages start from the decay and infection of the tooth and gum area. It eventually spreads to the surrounding tissues of the mouth and face. And the disease can eventually spread to the whole body, which can be dangerous.

Please do not try to treat the abscess or the tooth yourself at home.

Come in right away to see us for an emergency dental visit or go to an emergency room near you.

In the meantime, you can try some of these home remedies for pain relief until you see your dentist. These include cold compress, OTC pain meds, benzocaine, tea bags, and clove oil.

Prevention is key. Avoid tooth decay to prevent a tooth abscess by practicing good oral hygiene care.

If you have a tooth abscess, please don’t wait! Come see us today for a same-day Emergency Dental visit!

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