Concise View
Dental abscess in a swelling filled with pus, the swelling in your body is result of body’s protective mechanism. It's the mechanism of arresting/preventing debris entering in blood stream from mouth via tooth or gums, a type of protective mechanism. Ideally abscess is caused by body trying to rid its self of harmful bacteria. If you are not suffering from this condition currently, probably you are lucky, still it’s good to be aware of potential consequences so as to keep yourself safe and healthy.
Potential causes of dental abscess
- Neglected oral hygiene
- Decayed tooth
- Trauma
- Tooth fracture
- Left over roots only
Abscessed tooth- affecting general health
Body infection in general is the cause for alarm, as abscess has the tendency to not only locally damage the area but also spread and make condition potentially severe. Reason why tooth infection is different from general body infection:-
· Jaw bone already has compromised blood supply so it limits healing potential by itself.
· With increase in age, healing potential gets delayed.
· If debris from oral cavity is entering gums/carious teeth, then it’s a unilateral entry so chances of abscess being drained down by itself is very limited.
· Presence of abscess will make treatment more time consuming and eventful.
· Treatment line depends on severity of abscess. In extremely severe condition to get an early relief one may have to sacrifice tooth/teeth, which could have been saved if approached to your dentist timely.
a. Other most important symptoms present along are
1. Fever
2. Bitter taste in mouth
3. Swollen jaw
4. Reddened gums
5. Bad breath
6. Sleepless nights
7. Loosening of tooth
b. To be on a serious note, abscessed tooth may lead to heart issues (bacterial endocarditis), full face infection there by restricting airways (Ludwig’s angina), transfer of infection to brain.
Treatment alternatives
a. Conservative approach – if patient’s condition permits, ROOT CANAL THERAPY, preferably the ideal choice followed by tooth crown/cap.
b. Extraction – if tooth is non- restorable or condition becomes severe.
** Emergency dental procedure can be costly, but preventative treatment is not
