Abscesses: a short guide from our dentist in Doncaster East

When it comes to dental care, there are fewer issues likely to make a dental patient shudder than a dental abscess.

Not only are abscesses surprisingly common in general dental care, but they are also one of the leading causes for emergency dental appointments, so as you can imagine, they are far from comfortable to have!

At Family Dental Care, our dentist in Doncaster East is always on hand to help patients who need urgent treatment for a dental abscess and can also advise you and your family on ways to maintain dental health to avoid this uncomfortable condition. Great!

But how can you spot a dental abscess? And how are they typically treated? In the following guide, our dentist in Doncaster East aims to answer these questions and many more.

What is a dental abscess?

In short, a dental abscess is an infection that typically occurs due to the pulp of the tooth becoming exposed to bacteria.

This can be due to incidents of decay, a deep crack or chip in the tooth or trauma. In some instances, a dental abscess can occur on the gum alone, but in the experience of our dentist in Doncaster East, in most cases, it is due to the pulp coming into contact with bacteria.

Symptoms of an abscess

The symptoms of an abscess can include an intense feeling of bruising, pressure or burning within the jaw and underneath the tooth that is infected.

You may also notice tooth sensitivity, alongside feeling nauseated, being sick, feeling flu-ish or having a fever. The gum often also changes colour and becomes blue or darkened, accompanied by swelling to the face and local bone.

If you notice any of these symptoms, you must contact our team as soon as possible to prevent further discomfort and stop sepsis from occurring.

How is it treated?

How we treat a dental abscess depends on the condition of the tooth.

If the tooth is in good condition, we will aim to use endodontics or a root canal to remove the source of the infection from the inside. If the tooth is irreparable due to decay or damage, then we may opt for complete extraction.

Before deciding on the course of action, we may prescribe antibiotics to get the infection under control.

Aftercare

After recovering from either a root canal or an extraction, you need to be gentle with yourself. With a root canal, the area may feel sore for a while, and with an extraction, you will need to keep the site clean; we usually advise that our patients do this by rinsing their mouths with saltwater as and when needed.

If you have stitches, you will need to attend our clinic to have them removed.

Prevention

Assuming that your abscess was caused by tooth decay getting to the nerve of the tooth, the best way to prevent this from recurring is to practice good oral hygiene and attend dental checkups every 6 months.

DISCLAIMER

All treatment carries risks. Individual consultation is required with one of our practitioners to ensure that the treatment is right for you.