An abscess is a common dental problem, which is a painful, swollen mass which is normally warm to the touch. Dental abscesses can be in the tooth, in the gum or even in the bone. If it effects the gums, the area will be red, inflamed and have puss inside. You will normally experience a throbbing pain, which can spread to your ear, jaw and even neck and can cause redness and swelling in your face.
It is not something you should ignore, as it is an infection which can spread into the bloodstream and can develop into a fever and make you very ill. If you have any of these symptoms, make an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible. Unfortunately, this is something which will not normally go away on its own and can get serious if it is not treated quickly.
Depending on where the abscess has formed and what the cause of it is, we have a number of treatment options. If it is in the gum, we will drain the abscess, by making a small cut and draining the puss and cleaning the area. If it is at the root of a tooth, then a root canal procedure will be needed and if it is in the tooth, or a root canal isn’t possible, we may have to do an extraction to remove the affected tooth. Sometimes we will prescribe antibiotics if the infection has spread, but this will depend on your particular case.
Dental abscesses are caused by tooth decay or gum disease infecting an area of your tooth or gums and making it inflamed. If you don’t keep your teeth clean and you eat a lot of sugary foods and drink a lot of fizzy drinks your chances of developing an abscess is greater. If you are run down or have a weak immune system you are also more at risk of developing abscesses.
If you are prone to abscesses, the best way to prevent them is to keep your teeth really clean and make sure you floss at least once a day, to ensure that there is no food stuck between the teeth, this is where problems normally start.
Time really is of the essence with an abscess, so when you’re booking your appointment, make sure you inform your dentist that you think you have an abscess, so they can fit you in as soon as possible. Call our Marbella dentist on 952 866 571 to make an appointment and let us take away the pain and pressure of an abscess and get to the root of the problem, to avoid it happening again.
