Extracting Abscessed Tooth
A dental abscess can be a very painful problem and needs professional attention as soon as possible. An abscess is a pus-filled sac that develops near the root of a tooth or at the base of the root when bacteria and infection enter the tooth through decay or a fracture. At the first sign of abscess, it is important to visit your dentist before the infection can progress and cause further issues as an abscess cannot heal on its own.
Symptoms of a Dental Abscess
Signs that you might be developing an abscess include a bump on your gum that may look like a pimple with redness and swelling. As it progresses, you may experience pain when eating, sensitivity to hot and cold, difficulty opening your mouth. You may even have swelling in the jaw, headaches, earaches and swollen lymph nodes.
Treating an Abscess
If an abscess ruptures, you may feel immediate relief but the sac will refill and continue to grow. Antibiotics are a common first step in treating an abscess. Without treatment, you run a risk of the infection entering your bloodstream or losing the tooth.
Other treatments that your dentist can try include draining the abscess by making a small incision and irrigating the area and root canal therapy, which removes the infected pulp within the tooth. If none of these work or if the infection is too severe, your dentist may advise having the tooth extracted.
Extraction
Extraction is the last resort because it is important to keep your natural teeth as long as possible. Sometimes, extraction is the only option to prevent further damage to the tooth and surrounding area. Complications that can arise from an untreated abscess include bone loss, infection in the surrounding tissue, and infection entering the bloodstream.
After Extraction Care
After extraction, your body will naturally fight the infection, eliminating the pus sac over the course of a few days or week, depending on the severity of infection. It is important to care for the extraction site so that it heals properly. Your oral surgeon will provide care instructions that will help you keep the area clean and free of food particles.
Possible Complications After Extraction
Any surgery has risk of complications and a dental extraction is no exception. After the infected tooth is removed, the abscess will typically heal just fine but some complications that can arise include:
- Infection: Though rare, reinfection is always possible.
- Dry socket: This is a condition that can develop after any tooth extraction regardless of an abscess having been present. After an extraction, the socket forms a blood clot as part of the healing process When the blood clot becomes dislodged, the underlying bone becomes exposed and can cause intense pain and delay healing.
- Nerve damage: If the tooth being removed is close to nerves in the jaw, the nerves can become damaged, resulting in numbness or tingling in the face and mouth.
An abscess cannot heal on its own and will only get worse as time goes by. Typically considered a dental emergency, your dentist will want to see you as soon as possible to get the infection under control.