An abscess is a pus-filled pocket of tissue that has a pimple-like appearance. An abscess is caused by an infection in the tissue surrounding the pocket. Dental abscesses, such as those that result in an abscessed tooth, often begin with an infection in the pulp or soft living core of a tooth, which includes the blood vessels and dental nerves.

An abscessed tooth should be promptly treated because the pulp not only extends from the crown to the lowest lying root, it also extends into the jawbone. If it is not eradicated, the infection can spread to the bone or adjacent teeth. In severe cases, it may even become systemic. Here are three ways to treat an abscessed tooth:

Antibiotics

If you display symptoms, such as a throbbing tooth ache, the presentation of a tender bump on your gums, foul-smelling liquid leaking from the area around a tooth or darkening of a tooth, your tooth is likely abscessed.

Antibiotics may be prescribed to help kill the infection. In some cases, the prescribed medication may also be enough to quell the inflammation and swelling. However, if the abscessed tooth has caused irreversible damage to the dental nerves and other pulp components, antibiotics may begin the treatment, but additional care will be needed.

Extraction

An extraction occurs when the tooth is pulled out of its socket. Your dentist may be able to extract the tooth with a pair of dental forceps. However, in some cases, the root of the tooth may be so deeply embedded that a surgical extraction is required.

The extraction will remove the infected tooth and prevent the infection from spreading. In addition, it stops the pain associated with the inflamed nerves within the abscessed tooth. However, it does not come without a cost; once the tooth is removed, it can no longer act as a placeholder for adjacent teeth, and the jawbone stimulation that occurred at the site where the tooth root was connected to the bone ends.

Root Canal

During a root canal, the pulp of the tooth is extracted, and the interior of the tooth is disinfected. After the endodontic procedure, the tooth is filled, and a dental crown is affixed to the tooth to protect it and offer structural integrity.

If you believe that you have an abscessed tooth, check it out with a dentist in your area for an appointment. He or she will be able to examine your tooth and determine a suitable course of treatment.

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