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Dental Abscess

Dental Abscess is a collection of pus that is caused by an infection. The abscess can occur in different regions of the tooth, and are more common in people with low oral hygiene. The most common type of abscess is a periapcial abscess. These form when a caivty is not treated and the caries begin to destroy the enamel and dentin. The damage cause bacteria to go into the pulp and causing infection. An abscess can also grow from a nerve that dies from injury or trauma, the dead tissue is more prone to infection.

There are many symptoms that typically come from dental abscess. You might feel a constant throbbing pain on a tooth, swelling around a tooth or area of infection, or redness of mouth and face. More advance symptoms are fever and swelling of your face. It’s very important to see your dentist after any signs or symptoms of a tooth abscess. If you have trouble breathing or swallowing go to an emergency room, it can be that the infections is spreading. abscess picture

The best way to diagnose dental abscess is by going to your dentist for an exam. In the exam they will take an x-ray to see any abnormalities or abscess. Another way to diagnose is by tapping your teeth, the tooth with abscess is usually sensitive to touch or pressure. In more severe cases a ct scan is recommended to see the extent of an infection. Our Santa Ana Dentist Dr. Danial Kalantari does a series of test, from a visual exam, x-ray of a tooth, and the tapping test.

There are different ways to treat dental abcess. The objective is to get rid of the infection and one way is by draining the abscess, your dentist will cut a small opening in the abscess to deain it out, and then rinse to clean the site. If the tooth is not repairable then your dentist will have to extract the affected tooth, and drain the abscess. The most common type of abscess are periapical and the way to treat them are with root canal treatments. Your dentist will remove the affected pulp and drain abscess to help get rid of the infection. All these treatments work great, your dentist will choose the best option based of your case. Antibiotcs are usually prescribed after all these treatments.

Prevention is very important to maintain good oral health. Brushing and flossing twice a day will help prevent any caries. Wearing a mouthguard if playing any physical sports to prevent trauma on the tooth. Treating cavites in time are all good ways to prevent dental abscess. If you have any questions you can contact our dentist in Santa Ana Dr. Danial Kalantari or your friendly office of Smiles on Bristol Dentistry. Contact Us