Are your teeth sensitive to hot and cold foods? Does biting while chewing cause pain? If so, you will want to set up an appointment with your emergency dentist.
The longer you wait for emergency dental care, the bigger the problem. Read on to learn about the symptoms of your abscessed tooth.
We will also tell you what you can do for an infected tooth.
What is a tooth infection?
A dental infection (also called an abscess) is a pocket of pus trapped inside your tooth. If left untreated, the infection spreads to the tips of the roots of the teeth. At this point, your only option would be root canal treatment or emergency tooth extraction.
If you neglect your oral hygiene, you may be at higher risk for an abscessed tooth. You develop an abscess when there is a cavity deep enough to penetrate the inner chamber of your tooth. This means that the living tissue (pulp) inside your tooth is infected.
What does a dental abscess look like and how does it feel?
Tooth abscess is painful. In fact, your teeth may be throbbing and keeping you awake. We always advise patients to see their dentist without excruciating pain. That way, they can catch problems in their minor and treatable form.
Signs that you have an infected tooth include:
.Severe toothache
.Sensitivity to hot and cold foods
.Difficulty swallowing
.Pain when biting down
.Fire
Swollen, tender lymph nodes in the neck or jaw
.Swollen face or cheeks
Do you recognize any of the above symptoms? If so, schedule an appointment with our emergency dentist. The longer you ignore an abscessed tooth, the more you put your health at risk. Call your dentistry clinic to request emergency dental care.
If the pain subsides, do not think that the abscess has passed. You can manage some of the pain from home, but your dentist will need to remove the infected tooth pulp. He will then need to seal the tooth again and cover it with a crown. If your dentist can’t save the tooth, he’ll pull it out before the infection spreads to your jaw.
Can a tooth infection go away on its own?
No, a tooth infection will not go away on its own. Instead, it gets worse until the abscess bursts. When this happens, the infection will spread to your jawbone as well as the rest of your head and neck. You may even develop life-threatening sepsis.
DO NOT ignore the symptoms of a dental infection! If you suspect you have an abscessed tooth, you should call your emergency dentist as soon as possible. The sooner you call, the more likely you are to save your tooth.
For example, your emergency dentist may treat a small abscess with root canal treatment. Otherwise, you will need urgent tooth extraction.
