Treating A Tooth Infection
Posted on: 28 January 2015
If you have an infection in your tooth, also known as an abscess, it is not something that is going to go away on its own. In fact, it will only get worse in time. After a while, the pain and swelling may go away, but don't fool yourself into thinking that the infection is now healed. The infection is still there, and the pain and swelling will eventually come back, and it may be even worse.
An abscessed tooth may seem like something minor, but it can actually cause serious illnesses, and even lead to death if not properly treated. It is important that you visit your family dentist as soon as possible to begin a course of treatment. Here is some more information about dental infections, and how they are treated.
Symptoms of an Abscessed Tooth
One of the first things you will notice when you have an abscessed tooth is the pain that is associated with this type of infection. The pain can be so severe that you are unable to talk, eat, etc., and that pain won't just be in the infected area. Your entire face may hurt, and the pain can travel down into your neck, shoulders and arms. There will also be a lot of swelling, and you could end up with the entirety of your face swollen. Your mouth could actually swell shut and your eyes may even swell shut. In extreme cases, airways close off and you could have trouble breathing. There will also be a lump right on the gum, which will look like a giant pimple.
Treating Abscessed Teeth
Treating an abscessed tooth involves treating both the tooth and the surrounding gums. There isn't much that your family dentist can do until the infection has been treated. One of the first things your family dentist will recommend is that you take antibiotics for the infection. They may also recommend lancing the abscess so the pus will drain.
When left untreated, the pus will actually go back into the body, leading to a number of health problems, the least of which being nausea. If you need to have the abscessed drained, do not worry if you experience even more swelling. This is normal, and it will likely take a couple of days for the swelling to go away. Once the infection has been dealt with, your family dentist will either extract the tooth, or send you to a dental surgeon for a root canal so the tooth can be fixed and saved.
For more information, contact a dentist like Aulsebrook Thomas & Associates.
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