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A dental abscess is an infection that can occur in the mouth. It’s a serious dental emergency because it could be life-threatening if untreated. Untreated dental abscesses are often caused by tooth decay, gum disease, or trauma to the mouth. If you have symptoms of dental abscesses, see your dentist immediately! They will diagnose and treat the problem before it gets any worse.
What is an abscessed tooth, and why can it be serious?
Dental abscess emergency is one of the most avoidable health problems, yet it is prevalent. Dental abscesses are painful, medically serious conditions that can occur when bacteria infect the gums and bone near your teeth.
A dental abscess can develop if a cavity is not treated or your tooth becomes damaged due to an injury. Suppose the bacteria in plaque are allowed to continue untreated. In that case, they may attack your tooth’s pulp, which leads to swelling and discomfort near your cheekbone on one side of your face where you have that particular bad molar located.
Untreated dental abscesses are very dangerous because they spread throughout the mouth quickly without treatment. If you have a dental problem, see your dentist right away.
What Causes Dental Abscess?
Eating high sugar content, drinking liquids with acids (like citrus), or misusing dental instruments can cause an abscess.
The bacteria are responsible for causing tooth decay lie dormant until an environment becomes favorable enough to thrive again. This includes brushing after consuming sweets, which allows more than just plaque accumulation but the destruction of enamel on their teeth.
What are the Symptoms of Dental Abscess?
Swollen lymph nodes
swelling around the cheek near the jawline.
Pain when chewing food on the side where the tooth is located.
Fever/chills if the oral infection has spread to the blood
Sensitivity of the teeth when temperatures change
Fatigue
Dental pain that worsens over time
Headaches
Loss of appetite
When Should I visit the dentist Because of Dental Abscess?
You should visit the dentist for a tooth abscess if you notice any symptoms: pain when eating or drinking, swelling around your mouth and/or throat, breathlessness.
Early detection can help save time in treating this condition as well as avoid surgery!
Also Check – family dental surgery
What Happens If You Fail to Treat a Dental Abscess?
Untreated dental abscesses are very dangerous because they spread throughout the mouth quickly without treatment – resulting in severe infections such as:
1. Sepsis (blood poisoning)
The chemicals released by your immune system in response to an infection cause inflammation throughout the entire body instead. According to Healthline, this leads people with sepsis into severe health problems if left untreated or under-treated for too long before it’s diagnosed! Severe cases of sepsis can lead to life-threatening emergencies such as septic shock, which is a medical emergency.
Mark you, all this happening is just because you ignored a dental abscess for too long.
2. Meningitis (infection of the brain lining)
Tooth abscesses could lead to life-threatening meningitis. Meningitis has been known since ancient times as “the silent killer” because people with compromised immune systems have higher chances of developing it.
3. Osteomyelitis (bone infection)
Untreated tooth abscesses could lead to bone infection; when bacteria from the tooth migrates to your bone, you may experience pain in muscles or tendons next to it. According to NIH, germs are transmitted between teeth via saliva and enter into an area near blood vessels around nerves with lymphatic drainage channels; it can be perilous.
How Do you Treat Dental Abscesses?
Even though these dental problems may seem less important than other emergencies like heart attacks or physical trauma due to accidents, having gone untreated for more than 24 hours will certainly lead to long-term dental problems.
There are several ways through which your dentist can approach the tooth abscess:
1. Administering antibiotics
Antibiotics can help if the infection has spread to nearby teeth or other areas. Your dentist will likely prescribe antibiotics for this reason as well, especially when you have a weakened immune system and need them to stop the further spreading of an abscessed tooth!
2. Surgery
This involves opening and draining the abscess. A small incision will be made from which drainage occurs so that there may not have been any blockages within this area due to swelling or implantation of foreign objects during treatment for tooth decay. Saline solution is used for flushing out the abscess.
3. Root Canal Therapy
A root canal is a procedure to treat an infection in the tooth’s roots. The dentist drills into your teeth and removes dead cells, which contain no nutrients for bacteria.
Then they fill this cavity with synthetic material that can function like normal dentin does inside your mouth – providing strength against chewing forces or temperature changes outside of our bodies (such as hot drinks). Your surgeon will also clean out any remaining pus around these nerves at risk by detaching part of their jaw bone.
4. Hospitalization
An increase in inflammation or fever could signal the presence of an infection, which requires hospitalization.
How can You Prevent the Formation of Dental Abscesses?
If you have tooth decay, see your dentist right away so they can remove infected parts of your teeth. Also, follow proper dental care by brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and cleaning between teeth once daily with an interdental (between your teeth) cleaner like floss. Be sure to schedule regular dental checkups every six months for professional cleanings and oral cancer screenings.
This will prevent undetected gum disease from developing into something more serious like gingivitis or periodontal disease caused by plaque buildup around the base of the gums where bristles of the toothbrush cannot reach.
A tooth abscess can be a serious dental issue. Do not ignore any symptoms of the condition!
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