Abscess Tooth Pain Means It's Time To See the Dentist
A tooth abscess, sometimes called a root abscess, is a pus-filled bacterial infection located at the point where the root of a tooth meets the jawbone. Sounds gross, right? Well, it totally is. It's also very painful, and can lead to serious health complications, up to and including death.
An abscessed tooth is one dental accessory you can definitely do without. The best way to avoid dental abscesses is to practice good oral hygiene all of the time. Many tooth abscesses begin with simple tooth decay or gum disease. Over time, these dental problems let bacteria reach deep within teeth and other parts of the mouth.
Teeth Abscesses Can Have Dangerous Consequences
Abscessed teeth can happen any time bacteria can reach inside of the teeth or gums. This can be because of untreated dental decay, periodontal disease, cracked dental work, or unsuccessful root canal treatment. Even a tooth injury can leave a tooth cracked and vulnerable to bacteria.
If you don't treat an abscessed tooth, tooth damage will become more severe, and the infection can spread. In the worst-case scenario, a dental infection can actually spread to your brain and kill you. (Maybe remembering that your teeth are so close to your brain will help motivate you to take better care of them!)
+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.
Root Canal Dentist, Tooth Pain and Endodontic Disease
What Are the Most Common Symptoms of Endodontic Disease?
Endodontic disease can manifest itself with a wide variety and combination of symptoms. Common symptoms of endodontic disease include:
- Lingering tooth sensitivity to cold liquids.
- Lingering tooth sensitivity to hot liquids.
- Tooth sensitivity to sweets.
- Tooth pain to biting pressure.
- Tooth pain that is referred from a tooth to another area, such as the neck, temple, or the ear.
- Spontaneous toothache, such as that experienced while reading a magazine, watching television, etc.
- Constant or intermittent tooth pain.
- Severe tooth pain.
- Throbbing tooth pain.
- Tooth pain that may occur in response to atmospheric pressure changes, such as when flying or scuba diving.
- Tooth pain that may occur in response to postural changes, such as when going from a standing to a reclining position.
- Tooth Swelling.
If you have any of these symptoms, it would be wise to see your dentist because you might have root canal disease or another dental problem.
Some of these endodontic disease symptoms may also be attributable to decay, defective fillings, periodontal diseases, cracked teeth, or other tooth or bite-related problems.
On other occasions, the symptoms may even be caused by disorders that are not related to the teeth.
Why May Endodontic Disease Cause Swelling?
When the pulpal tissue becomes severely diseased and necrotic, the resultant infection can spread from inside the tooth into the adjacent bone and soft tissues. As a result, swelling can occur in the tissues immediately surrounding the tooth.
If this situation is not treated and the endodontic disease process is not kept under control by the body's defenses, the infection can begin to spread into other tissue spaces, such as those around the eye or in the neck. In some situations, this can become a serious medical emergency.
By Clifford J. Ruddle, DDS, in collaboration with Philip M. Smith, DDS
+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.