Dental abscess
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A tooth abscess or root abscess is a bacterial infection that has accumulated in the soft pulp of a tooth. The pus becomes enclosed in the tissues of the jaw bone at the tip of the infected tooth, causing excruciating pain.
The origins of a tooth abscess are usually untreated tooth decay, cracked teeth, or in dead pulp tissue inside the tooth. If there is bacteria built up in severely receding gum tissues, or if bacteria is left in the tissues around the root of a tooth following a root canal treatment, the bacteria may produce an abscess.
Symptoms and Treatment
A tooth abscess is characterized by a toothache or a persistent, throbbing pain at the site of the infection.[1] Using the affected tooth for such tasks such as biting or chewing causes extreme pain, where normally one would not be aware of their teeth for the most part, a tooth abscess makes the sufferer painfully aware that a tooth does in fact, exist; and that there is definitely an underlying problem.
In some cases, a tooth abscess may cause the side of the face in which the tooth is embedded, to swell and become feverish to the touch. The lymph glands in the neck in some cases will become swollen and tender in response to the infection.
If a tooth abscess is the result of a completely infected permanent tooth located in the back of the jaw, or a primary tooth, the dentist may extract it. However, if enough of the tooth structure remains the tooth can be saved by performing root canal surgery. If the abscess has not burst yet, the first stage of root canal treatment will be to drain the abscess by creating an opening in thepulp chamber. This will release the pressure created by the pus in the enclosed abscess and relieve the pain.
In some cases the dentist may leave an opening in the tooth to allow the abscess to drain before completing the surgery at a later visit. If there is infected tissue outside of the root of the tooth that needs to be removed, an apicoectomy may be performed after the completion of the root canal treatment.
Risks
If a tooth abscess is not treated promptly, it will being to erode the bone at the tip of the tooth. The erosion may extend toward the gum tissue and form a pus-filled canal that causes noticeable gum swelling. If the abscess happens to burst, the canal formed will carry the pus to an opening. This opening, called a fistula, forms on the surface of the gum and resembles a small boil.
Upon bursting, the fistula releases the foul-tasting pus into the mouth. The severe pain caused by the abscess will be relieved immediately upon the fistula releasing its contents. At this stage, the infection is easily spread throughout the body, creating a feeling of general illness.
Depending of the severity of the matter, the sufferer may feel only mildly ill, or may even in some extreme cases, require hospital care. A risk of blood poisoning (Septicaemia), exists and the infection will persist until it is treated with antibiotics.