abscessed tooth how to treat a tooth abscess a tooth abscess is an infection of the tooththat is usually caused by untreated tooth decay or gum disease, or a serious tooth injurythat affects the pulp, such as fracture. the result is a pus-filled, often painfulinfection that requires immediate medical treatment to prevent tooth loss and the spreadof infection into surrounding teeth and even the bones of the face or sinuses.if you findyourself having to wait a day or two to be seen by your dentist, there are some at-hometreatments you can do while you wait to alleviate the discomfort caused by the abscess
1make an appointment with your dentist. if you suspect you have a tooth abscess, yourfirst action should be to make an appointment with your dentist right away. symptoms of a tooth abscess include fever,pain when chewing, a bad taste in the mouth, lingering bad breath, swollen neck glands,redness and swelling of the gums, discoloration of the tooth, swelling of the upper or lowerjaw, or an open, pus-filled sore on the side of the gum. a tooth abscess is not necessarily painful;a severe tooth infection will eventually kill the pulp inside the root of the tooth, atwhich point the tooth will lose sensation.
this does not mean you are ok, now. the infection is still active, and if leftuntreated will cause further, serious damage. depending on the type of bacteria involvedin the infection and your immune system, an abscess can even cause facial deformitiesdue to the constant accumulation of pus in the tissue. 2rinse your mouth with warm salt water. do this after meals to keep any particlesfrom further irritating the abscess. it may also bring temporary pain relief tothe area. mix 1 tsp (5 g) of salt into 1 cup (250ml)of warm (not hot) water, and swish it around
in your mouth to rinse, then spit out thewater and repeat. remember that a saltwater rinse can not curea tooth abscess, even if it makes it feel better. you still must be seen by a dentist becausethe symptoms may be aggravated severely by an anaerobic infection, which expands quickly. 3take over-the-counter pain relievers to manage pain and fever. medications such as acetaminophen (tylenol,)naproxen (aleve,) ibuprofen (advil or motrin) can help relieve your tooth pain while youwait for your appointment.
take medications only as directed, even ifdoing so does not completely alleviate your tooth pain. note that these medications are also fever-reducers,and may mask a fever that the infection is causing. when using these medications, keep an eyeout for any other symptoms that might indicate that the infection is worsening. 4seek emergency medical treatment if severe symptoms become present. it is possible for a tooth infection to spreadrapidly, and affect not only other teeth,
but your entire body, as well. if you experience any of the following symptoms,go to an emergency room right away: visibly increased swelling of the abscess, the jaw,or the face, swelling that spreads across the face or down the neck, skin discoloration,fever, vertigo, lack of energy, eyesight problems, chills, nausea, vomiting, or increasing orintolerable pain that does not respond to over-the-counter medications. 5visit your dentist to have the abscess examined and drained. the dentist will most likely try to drainthe abscess first by making a small incision,
ideally after administering anesthesia aroundthe painful area, and allowing the pus to flow out. your dentist will then investigate furtherto determine what other treatment may be needed. keep in mind that in some cases, anesthesiais not needed because patients may not feel any pain at all. sometimes some of the pus has already comeout through a small hole in the gum called a dental fistula. 6get a root canal. your dentist may recommend a root canal, performedin either her office, or by a specialist.
during a root canal, a dentist will drillinto the tooth and remove the diseased pulp, completely sterilize the entire canal of thetooth, and then fill and seal the tooth's inner chambers and cap the tooth using a filling,onlay or even a crown when there is not enough dental substance. teeth that have undergone this procedure can,with proper care, remain intact for the rest of your life.
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