Do You Have An Abscessed Tooth?

If you are experiencing pain and discomfort while chewing, or you noticed a swollen gum in your mouth, then there is a high chance that you may have developed an abscessed tooth. An abscess in the tooth is caused by bacterial infection as a result of untreated decay in the tooth chamber called the pulp and have spread around the tooth root or its tip. Abscesses in the teeth can be serious conditions and can lead to severe pains if they aren’t treated immediately. There are few symptoms that occurs when the pulp (the soft tissue inside the root canal of a tooth) dies due to damage or decay. It becomes inflamed and when left untreated, bacteria will begin to grow from the dead tissue that is left and will eventually spread from the root of the dead tooth into the tissue that is below and create a pocket of pus – the abscess.

Other Causes and What to Expect

Aside from tooth decay, another likely cause of abscess in the tooth is gum disease. Gum diseases cause the gums to pull back and away from teeth, leaving pockets behind. If one of the pockets becomes blocked, the bacteria can grow and spread, or get back up and when that happens, an abscess (pus) will start to form under the surface of the gums and will swell as it spreads and gets bigger. Once the infection has started to spread, your jawbone may start to dissolve as it makes room for the swelling in the area that has been infected. When that happens, the pressure you felt on that tooth will greatly reduce but the infection will still be there.  Even though you will experience relief, the infection will get worse and the pains will come back.  Also, when more of the bones have been dissolved, there will be nothing left to support the tooth, meaning that it will become loose and end up needing to be extracted by your dentist.

Symptoms and Remedy

The symptoms of an abscessed tooth are easy to identify, as they include severe pain in the affected area, red or swollen gums and a bad taste in your mouth, swelling around the area or the jaw, and possibly a high fever.  Pain is excruciating with an abscess, normally affecting the area in a bad way.  No matter what you do, the pain seems to intensify. An abscess in the tooth mostly occurs with back teeth, although they can happen in the front as well. Once your tooth has become abscessed, your dentist won’t immediately pull it if the infection is still present because if he does, then the infection can easily spread to another tooth. Instead, your dentist will prescribe some antibiotics to you that can help to destroy the bacteria.


Your dentist can also perform a root canal, in an attempt to remove the dead or decayed tissue or he can drill a hole in the tooth to give the infection a chance to drain and then try to remove any dead pulp.  The most common and recommended treatment with an abscess is to use antibiotics to kill the infection, then get the tooth removed. However, you should never let it get that bad before treating – as an abscess is something that can destroy your jawbone.

Pin It on Pinterest