Dental Abscess

When your general dentist or dental team refers to a dental abscess, what they’re really talking about is an infection, usually a gum infection, tooth infection or cavity that has caused infection in your mouth, face, jaw or throat.

An abscess can form if an infected tooth doesn’t get the right amount of dental care - if you smoke or drink a lot, have a poor diet, or don’t brush, floss or rinse properly or often enough, it makes it more likely that cavities will form in your teeth - and bacteria can gather there and extend into your gums, cheek, throat, or into your jaw and facial bones.

There are a few different types of dental abscesses:

• Periapical: this is the type that comes up a lot, it’s the most common - when bacteria infect the pulp that’s inside one of your teeth, you’ll get a Periapical Abscess

• Periodontal: when your gums are infected by bacteria, you’ll develop a Periodontal Abscess

• Gingival: When something gets stuck in your gums - it could be a bit of food, or a broken tooth - you might develop a gingival abscess.

You might be aware of the fact you’re developing an abscess, because there are quite a few symptoms that come along with it. You’ll typically feel some pain in your jaw or around the site of the infection, and there may be swelling or redness in your mouth and face. If you’re getting a bad taste in your mouth, or suffering from sensitivity to hot or cold foods and liquids, you might have an early abscess.

You might also become aware of other symptoms, like cavities, tenderness, general discomfort or difficulty opening your mouth or swallowing.

If the infection has gotten really bad, you might find swollen glands in your neck or upper or lower jaw, and you might experience symptoms of advanced infection, such as nausea, vomiting, fever, chills or diarrhea.

It’s important to call your dentist if you have any of the early signs of an abscess, before the infection gets serious. Your dentist will perform a physical exam to discover if you have a drainable abscess, and might take an x-ray of your teeth to check whether you have any small abscess at the deepest part of your tooth.

Your local dentist may need to cut open the abscess and allow the pus inside to drain - this can also be drained through an infected tooth at the beginning of a root canal procedure.

A dental abscess won’t go away on its own, and can develop into something life-threatening if it’s not properly drained. But there’s a great outlook for recovery once it’s been ruptured or drained.

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