What is a dental abscess? What are the symptoms, treatment and causes?

What is a dental abscess?

A dental abscess is an infection of the mouth where pus collects in the infected region, and due to increased pressure leads to severe pain.

Based on where the infection is, dental abscesses can be of three types:

1. Gum abscesses

2. Periodontal abscesses

3. Peri-apical abscesses

What are the symptoms?

General symptoms:

· Severe and throbbing pain. But rarely, an abscess may be painless too.

· The pain starts suddenly and doesn’t go away easily.

· The pain may spread to the ear, jaw and neck.

· Red and swollen region.

· The area may be painful to the touch.

· Tender or loose tooth.

· Pus discharge.

· Bad breath.

If left untreated, further symptoms may develop:

· Difficulty in mouth opening or swallowing

· Difficulty in breathing

· Fever

· Chills

· Rapid heart rate.

Read on to find out about complications if the dental abscess is left untreated.

What causes a dental abscess?

Bacterial infection of the gums, the tissue surrounding the tooth, called periodontal tissue, or the root apex, causes a dental abscess. The body’s immune system fights the infection and pus is created from the dead bacteria and cells, this pus accumulates, forming the abscess.

Deep cavities, periodontal disease, a cracked tooth, trauma can all cause infection of these areas and lead to an abscess.

What happens if it is left untreated?

It is a bad idea to leave it untreated, because the complications from a dental abscess can even cause death.

· Dental cysts: Fluid filled pockets that form inside the jaws, they can keep increasing in size disrupting other structures or get infected.

· Osteomyelitis: A very painful infection of the bone.

· Cavernous sinus thrombosis: The bacteria may travel throughout the body via the bloodstream. The body will try to prevent the infection of the brain and thus create a clot at the base of the brain, which will decrease the blood flow to the oxygen-hungry brain.

· Ludwig’s angina: The infection may spread to the surrounding regions in the mouth and neck. There will be severe swelling and pain, and can cause death by constricting the airway.

· Septicaemia: This is infection of the blood itself, and may cause death.

What is the treatment for dental abscess?

· Visit a dentist, sooner rather than later.

· If the pain is uncontrollable, or there is fever, chills or breathing difficulty, immediate medical or dental help is needed.

· According to the severity of the infection, the dentist may:

o Incise and drain the abscess.

o Prescribe antibiotics and pain medication.

o Extract a diseased tooth.

o Perform root canal treatment.

o Clean the periodontal space.

o Recommend hospitalization, if the infection is severe and complicated.

Are there any home remedies?

No, there are no home remedies. An abscess is a serious infection that can lead to dangerous complications, and even if it doesn’t, even if it goes away on its own, there is always a chance it will come back.

That said, here are some preventive measures that help in preventing abscess formation or temporarily control the pain:

· Pain control: over the counter medications such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.

· Avoiding very hot or very cold food and drink.

· Eating soft food.

· Using a soft toothbrush.

· Fluoride mouth rinses.

Conclusion:

A dental abscess is a painful and serious infection of the mouth with collection of pus in the region. It can be prevented by good oral hygiene practices like flossing and brushing twice daily with a fluoridated toothpaste, but if it develops, a dentist must be consulted at the earliest. This is because the complications can be dangerous, even fatal and most of the time, it does not go away on its own.