Treating Your Emergency Tooth Abscess
Introduction
An abscessed tooth not only causes a great amount of pain. If left untreated it can also cause serious health problems. An abscess can cause damage to the surrounding teeth, damage to the jaw bone. If you feel that you have a tooth abscess contact us immediately at Sunnyvale Dental Care to take care of the problem before it gets worse.
What is a tooth Abscess?
A tooth abscess is an infection of the tooth that creates a pus sac near the point of infection. The pus can either be located at the root of the tooth or in the gums surrounding the infected tooth. Your dentist will take x-rays of the infected area to determine which type of abscess you have and create a proper treatment plan.
How to Treat an Abscess at Home
It is important that you visit a dentist at the first sign of a tooth abscess to get the infection under control. While at home waiting for your visit, you should rinse your mouth with warm salt water or antiseptic mouth wash. If your face is swollen, you will also want to start cold compresses on the infection site to reduce swelling. Place the compression on the area for about five minutes at a time. This will also help control the pain until you can visit your dentist. Take over-the-counter pain reliever, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Neurofen) or acetaminophen (Tylenol). However, be aware that you need to see your dentist. If you mask the pain with a painkiller and ignore it, the infection can spread and could become life threatening.
Treating an Abscesses Tooth
Dr Antonious will x-ray your tooth to find the exact location of the infection and to determine if the abscess is at the root or in the gums surrounding the tooth. If the abscess is at the root of the tooth, we will determine if the tooth is viable and discuss your options with you. You can either have a root canal to drain the abscess or extract the tooth.
If the abscess is in the gum, we will first drain the area and thoroughly clean and disinfect it. The roots of the tooth will be smoothed out to promote healthy growth and a follow-up appointment will be scheduled to check the progress of the tooth. In severe cases, gum surgery is necessary to alleviate the abscess.
Caring for Your Mouth
After an abscess is treated, antibiotic medication and pain medication will most likely be prescribed. It is important to follow the instructions given and take all of the antibiotics to ensure that the infection is completely gone. Continue to rinse your mouth with warm salt water three to four times a day. If the tooth has been extracted, your dentist will provide you with specific post operative instructions that you will need to follow.
Abscess Prevention
The best way to prevent an abscess is with regular visits to Sunnyvale Dental Care. At each visit we will take x-rays of your teeth and will notice the first signs of decay. In addition, we will monitor the health of your jawbone. Plaque will be removed from your teeth to keep them healthy.
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Dental Emergencies/Pain ***
Severe Tooth Pain/ Toothache
Dental Abscess/Gum Abscess
Tooth Abscess/Endodontic Treatment
Cracked Tooth/Endodontic Treatment
Fractured Tooth and Broken Teeth
Lost Dental Filling or Crown
Sensitive/Painful Teeth
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorder (TMD)
Loose Teeth/Prevention-Causes and Treatment
Trouble With Your Dentures?
Anxious Patients
Using Sedation in Dentistry
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