How To Drain An Abscess Tooth At Home – What does a tooth abscess look like? For some people, an abscessed tooth may look like a gum abscess. The stage of the infection varies, and the symptoms vary depending on how long you’ve had an abscessed tooth, how “bad” the bacterial infection is, and the extent of the tooth’s deterioration. Although it is possible to treat abscessed teeth, the actual stage of abscessed teeth will eventually reach a point where it is physically impossible to repair or save your anatomical tooth.
Each tooth has a living, functional nerve and blood vessel that runs down the center of the root. The nerve is responsible for “eating” your tooth structure and keeping it alive. But if the supply to this nerve or tissue is somehow compromised or infected, you will develop a periapical abscess.
How To Drain An Abscess Tooth At Home
However, there are other types of abscess that you can find, which are not directly related to the tooth nerve. These abscesses are also serious dental infections, but with different gum abscess stages than a traditional tooth abscess. The type of infection you have will affect your dentist’s treatment recommendations.
Signs Of An Abscessed Tooth
Scientifically speaking, it is possible to find an abscess practically anywhere in our body. In the case of a gingival abscess, the infection is strictly located inside our gum tissue (and not the tooth itself.) This could be due to some type of oral infection, medical condition, trauma, or lack of care at home.
If you have severe periodontal (gum) disease, the gum and bone tissue adjacent to the root of your tooth become severely infected. Although traditional symptoms include pockets, tartar buildup, and bad breath, some people may also develop periodontal abscesses where fluid drains from the gums when pressure is applied to the tooth.
These are the most common types of dental abscesses. They are the result of an infected or dead tooth nerve, and a cyst develops at the tip of the root of the tooth that eventually drains into the gums and into the mouth. Periapical abscesses can only be managed with endodontic therapy.
Depending on the type of dental abscess you have, you will usually experience symptoms of swollen gums, fistulas (small sore-like pimples) on the tissue, and even more visible drainage from the area. If you have a periapical abscess, the cycle around the root will usually be visible on a dental x-ray. Gum abscesses are usually accompanied by red, inflamed tissue that bleeds easily and is tender to the touch.
How Much Does Treatment For A Root Canal Cost In Canada?
It is very common for tooth abscesses to “come and go”, with visible symptoms for a few days and then go to the next. Whereas if it’s simply something like an ulcer, the blister tends to appear on otherwise completely healthy gum tissue and heals within a week or two.
Periapical abscesses are preventable and the most common type of dental abscess. Depending on how quickly you address the situation, your tooth will experience these five stages of tooth abscess infection. Although it may sound obvious, earlier treatment is typically the best and most affordable solution. Delaying care—even in the absence of symptoms—will only exacerbate the progression of oral disease and limit your treatment options.
Aside from traumatic injuries, almost all tooth abscesses are the result of enamel decay. The outermost layer of your tooth is made of very dense enamel. Once a cavity has started to erode your tooth enamel, it is quickly on its way to becoming a tooth abscess…unless you treat it ASAP.
Not all cavities have noticeable symptoms. But the most obvious ones include sensitivity, pain, darkening of your tooth enamel, rough edges, and cavities visible in your teeth on your dental x-rays.
How To Get Rid Of A Tooth Infection Naturally
The only treatment for an active cavity is to have your dentist clean out the decay and rebuild your tooth with a dental filling. Cavities are not reversible, you cannot treat them at home, and they will only continue to grow if they go without professional attention.
Underneath the enamel is a layer of the tooth called dentin. Dentin is much less dense than enamel, so once a cavity occurs in this layer it can spread at alarmingly fast rates. The dentin is the bulk of the tooth that surrounds the nerve tissue inside. Dentin decay also tends to be more sensitive than enamel.
Once a cavity occurs in the dentin, your teeth will likely be more sensitive. You might notice something feels “off” every time you chew. Generally, dental floss will be taken every time you clean your teeth if the cavity is between the teeth. There is also a high risk of the tooth breaking every time you bite down.
A dental filling, inlay, onlay, or crown will also be necessary depending on how much tooth structure is involved. Without treatment, an infected stool is inevitable.
Infection And Root Canal Treatment
After a cavity has broken down the tooth enamel and spread to the gums, it is only a matter of time before the decay reaches the nerve in the middle of the tooth. Once active decay infects the pulp/nerve tissue, the entire tooth becomes compromised. Unless treated immediately, tooth loss is inevitable.
Once the pulp tissue inside a tooth is infected, sensitivity to hot foods and drinks is common. Most likely, the teeth will be too sensitive from daily activities such as eating, drinking, and brushing your teeth. Sharp or dull toothaches are common.
The only treatment for an infected pulp tissue is endodontic therapy. During a root canal, the nerve is removed and the chamber is closed with a special material to prevent bacteria from re-entering the canal. You will also need a crown on top of the tooth. For children, a pulpotomy (“baby root canal”) is usually the best alternative.
Shortly after decay reaches the nerve of the tooth, the bacteria become trapped inside the pulp chamber. This leads to deterioration of the nerve, the development of a pocket of pus, and an increase in inflammation. There are only two directions for the tooth infection to drain, and one of them is through the opening at the tip of the root.
Know About Diagnosis & Treatment Of Dental Abscess
Shortly after the nerve in a tooth becomes infected, the inflammation will lead to excess fluid that needs to be drained from the tooth. A fistula—or pimple on the gums—allows pus to leak through the bone and gum tissue to ease the pressure inside the root. As the tooth begins to die, it will gradually turn black and become more brittle. There may be severe toothache or none at all (because the nerves are no longer functioning properly.)
Root canal treatment will eliminate the source of the tooth abscess, preventing total tooth loss and additional discomfort.
An untreated tooth abscess can easily expand into adjacent anatomical structures. In some cases, these have been known to cause brain infections, facial swelling, and require hospitalization. Tooth loss is common, as is an infection in adjacent teeth.
Facial swelling, sepsis, fever, and in rare and advanced cases, life-threatening infections can result in death from a brain infection.
Dentist Approved Remedies To Treat Tooth Pain At Home
You will need hospitalization and intravenous drug treatment to control the systemic infection in the blood and secondary organs. Once your medical condition is stabilized, the tooth is extracted.
It is really important to know that the symptoms of tooth abscess can vary from person to person. But in a broad sense, here’s what you can usually expect to see or experience at some point:
Almost all dental abscesses are the result of untreated tooth decay. Since cavities are a bacterial infection, they continue to expand into adjacent tooth structures unless they are physically treated by your dentist.
Deep cracks in teeth can also contribute to a nerve abscess. For example, if a traumatic injury during an athletic event or car accident involves blunt trauma to the mouth, it can fracture the tooth and allow bacteria to enter the nerve chamber.
Can An Abscess Go Away Without Draining?
Untreated gum disease can cause periodontal (gum) abscesses. These infections are caused by a lack of regular preventive care, heavy accumulation of tartar under the gum tissue, and insufficient brushing and flossing.
Unfortunately, many people assume that if their teeth do not hurt or there is nothing visibly wrong with it, they do not need to treat the cavity or crack. Thus, allowing the condition to go untreated means more and more bacteria can enter the tooth.
Early screening, regular dental exams, and diagnostic digital x-rays can rule out the cause and progression of a dental abscess. Unfortunately, many people just don’t listen to their dentist’s recommendations regarding abscessed teeth, especially when there is no apparent pain.
How to treat a tooth abscess? Depending on the type of dental abscess you have and its severity, you will need one of the following treatments:
Gum Swelling After Root Canal
Wait… what?! I know what you’re thinking. I already said that you could not treat an abscessed tooth without some kind of restorative procedure. And you can’t. If the tooth infection has spread, antibiotics can reduce the inflammation and bacteria levels inside that area so your dentist can comfortably numb the tooth to remove the source of the infection. If there is significant swelling, the stimulant medication will not work well. But you can’t take antibiotics to get rid of a tooth abscess like you would for something like strep throat.
Root canal treatment is usually the only option if you
