Whenever you have tooth decay or gum disorder, you can acquire infection deep inside the tooth or gingiva (gum). This condition is basically an abscessed tooth and could be very harmful. If it isn't addressed properly, the infection may overspread and you can suffer a loss of tooth or experience other medical issues.
Severity of an Abscessed Tooth
Injury to the tooth, a neglected cavity, or gum condition can bring about an abscessed tooth. If a dental cavity isn't cared for properly, the interior of the tooth (referred to as the pulp) may get infected. Microbes (bacteria) may grow from the tooth and into the surrounding tissue, producing an abscess.
Gum disease pulls the gums back from the tooth, leaving tiny sac-like structures that cause even more infection. If food gets caught in any of these "sacs," bacteria can thrive, and an abscess can appear. Over time, an abscess could make the bone covering the tooth break up prematurely.
Eventually, as the condition worsens, the osseous tissue (bone) in your jaw may start to fade out. When this occurs, you might feel less discomfort or pain, but the infection will persist. If you suffer too much bone loss, your teeth can get loose and may need to be pulled.
If you have extreme odontalgia (toothache) or see drainage of pus, call your dental practitioner immediately. You could have an abscessed tooth. If it is not addressed properly, the condition could spread and turn serious.
Caring for an Abscessed Tooth
If someone has an abscessed tooth, his dentist will prescribe antibiotics to wipe out the bacteria producing the infection. Antibiotic drugs may be useful for a while. However, in order to get rid of the abscess, the dentist or dental surgeon will need to destroy the cause of infection. This is accomplished by creating a hole in the gum or tooth to drain out the infection. Ordinarily this will relieve any toothache.
If the inner part of your tooth is affected, you'll need to get a root canal or get the tooth taken out. A root canal procedure attempts to salvage your tooth by removing the contaminated pulp. If you do not wish to undergo a root canal procedure or if you get one and it does not seem to help, the dentist may need to pull your tooth. Your dentist can help you choose the best step to take.
You might be able to cut down pain and swelling from an abscessed tooth by putting an ice pack clothed in a towel against your face. You can also try nonprescription pain drugs, including aspirin, acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) or ibuprofen (like Motrin or Advil). However, you still need to visit your dentist for therapy.
How to Avoid an Abscessed Tooth
You could avoid an abscessed tooth by stopping bacterial infections in your dental cavity. The most helpful way to do that is to take great care of your gums and teeth.
Some patients have a very dry mouth (xerostomia). This could cause severe dental caries to form rapidly, which may infect the pulp of teeth and lead to an abscess. You might be able to avoid these issues by taking regular sips of juice, mint-flavored gum, or chewing on sugarless candy. If you have any serious dry mouth problems, you might have to consume drugs prescribed by your doctor to address the problems.
More from this Author:
Ablepharon Macrostomia Syndrome
Reference:
Wayne DB, et al. (2001). "Tooth and periodontal disease: A review for the primary-care physician." Southern Medical Journal. 94 (9); 925–932.
 |
