If you have recently been experiencing a painful toothache and have noticed your face is looking slightly swollen, you could have a tooth abscess in Oshawa. Any form of dental pain is unpleasant, and someone experiencing this symptom should always seek urgent advice and treatment.
What Is a Tooth Abscess?
A tooth or dental abscess is a severe bacterial infection that develops right at the tooth’s base. It often results from an untreated cavity in a tooth or a filling that has become cracked or crumbled away. It can also be caused if a tooth is cracked or damaged, allowing bacteria to get inside the tooth. Even a small crack in a tooth can slightly open when you bite down, letting in harmful bacteria. These bacteria will eventually reach the pulp chamber at the tooth’s centre, containing the nerves, blood vessels and connective tissues. From there, the bacteria travel down the root canals to the tip of the tooth root, where they cause swelling and inflammation.
What Does a Dental Abscess Feel Like?
The bacterial infection causes toothache in the tooth nerve and swelling without prompt treatment. The tooth can feel painful whenever you bite down, or you may notice it feels more sensitive whenever you eat anything hot or cold. The bacterial infection can spread from the tooth, affecting your face and causing pain and swelling in your jaw and facial muscles. Other signs include having bad breath. When the infection is especially severe, there is a risk it could spread into your bloodstream, potentially causing sepsis. You will almost certainly feel very unwell and could have a fever by this stage.
What to Do If You Have Toothache or Facial Swelling?
If you are worried about a toothache or have other concerning signs like facial swelling, it’s always worth getting in touch with us. Sometimes a dental abscess may not cause tooth pain because the tooth nerve has already died, but it may cause jaw pain and swelling.
Margolian Dentistry is here to help patients with dental emergencies, providing immediate helpful advice over the phone. We make every effort to see patients in pain on the same day. We also have a dentist on call outside of practice hours.
What Is the Treatment for a Tooth Abscess?
When you come to see us, we can assess the tooth very gently and may carry out diagnostic tests to evaluate the extent of the infection and to see if we can save the tooth. Often, an infected tooth can be saved with root canal therapy. If a tooth is particularly severely infected, it isn’t always possible to save it, which is why it’s important to see a dentist in Whitby promptly if you experience any tooth or jaw pain.
If there is a chance the tooth can be saved with root canal therapy, the immediate aim is to get rid of the infection and drain the abscess. The tooth can then be cleaned out, removing the dental pulp and all tissues extending into the tooth roots. After all the infection is removed, the tooth is sealed permanently and is usually restored with a dental crown. The crown covers the entire tooth, protecting it and helping to protect it from further infection.
What if the Tooth Cannot Be Saved?
We always try very hard to protect and preserve natural teeth but unfortunately, this isn’t always possible. If we cannot save your tooth because it is too severely infected, we will need to remove it to allow the abscess to drain and clear up the infection. We can also discuss possible ways to replace it, perhaps with a dental implant in Ajax that artificially restores the entire tooth, including the tooth root.
