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Dental emergencies are never convenient, and even if it’s the holiday season, you can still find yourself developing a painful and serious condition known as a dental abscess. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your Healdsburg dentist for immediate dental care so you can stop the discomfort and avoid serious dental complications.
Do You Have a Dental Abscess?
A dental abscess is a tooth infection. But it’s often most visible in the gums. You always want to let your dentist diagnose your condition, but there are obvious signs that scream “dental abscess,” like:
- Visible area of built-up pus under the gum
- Swelling of the gum
- Warmth and redness
- Pain and tenderness
- Sensitivity
- Fever or chills
- Bad breath
An abscess forms inside the tooth and spreads to the root. Its origins are often in the pulp of the tooth and, as bacteria multiplies, the problem grows and eventually forms that telltale abscess. The most common cause of this dental problem is untreated tooth decay, but an abscess can also come from a mouth injury or deteriorating dental work.
Emergency Dentistry Treatments for a Dental Abscess
Not everyone needs the same level of treatment for an abscess – it depends on the size and depth of the abscess. Whatever treatment you undergo, it will be aggressive and thorough, stopping the pain and saving you from the infection traveling through the rest of your body.
Here are the most common treatments for a dental abscess:
- Incision and drainage: Before any repairs can be done, the abscess must be drained, and a course of antibiotics are also necessary. This wound can take a few weeks to heal completely.
- Root canal therapy: Because abscesses start within the tooth, root canal therapy is a common treatment. The roots of the infected tooth are completely cleaned out then filled so they cannot suffer another infection. The tooth is capped with a porcelain crown to protect it.
- Tooth-colored filling: If an abscess is not large, a tooth-colored filling may be all that is needed to correct the problem tooth, but this is in rare cases. Once you’ve reached the stage of a visible abscess, the infection is significant and invasive treatment is necessary.
- Tooth extraction: If a tooth is so badly damaged by a bacterial infection that it cannot be saved by any dental restoration, it is necessary to extract it to prevent negative oral health issues and to protect your overall health and well-being.
Don’t Ignore a Dental Emergency
No one wants to have a dental emergency, but when one does arise, it is always in your best interest to get treatment from your dentist as soon as possible. Tooth pain can be brutal, especially if you’re suffering from an infection, and repairing it quickly ensures that you get relief and also do not subject yourself to further complications.
If you have a dental emergency, contact Healdsburg Dental Spa in Healdsburg, CA, to find out if you need to be seen right away.
