What Are The Signs Of A Dental Abscess?

A dental abscess is usually a result of a bacterial infection. It's characterized by the presence of a pocket of pus that can be found in different parts of a tooth including at the tip of the root and next to the tooth root.

Because a dental abscess is an infection, it can have some very serious side effects. However, these usually occur only if the abscess isn't treated early enough. This means that early detecting of the abscess can play a crucial role in preventing complications that may require surgery. What are the signs of an abscess?

Pain in the affected area

In some cases, the pain might be constant. However, in other cases, the pain will only be felt you bite down or if you touch the affected area. Not every pain of this sort will be caused by an abscess. However, it's always a good idea to have any kind of dental pain checked out by a dentist.

Temperature Sensitivity

The teeth are normally quite sensitive to changes in temperature. Even relatively small changes in temperature cause some changes in and around the teeth. If you have an abscess, the tissue around it can become even more sensitive to such temperature changes, resulting in pain when eating or drinking hot and cold foods.

Bad Taste in the Mouth

This is also not uncommon for people with a dental abscess. The pocket of pus can rupture or the contents may be leaking out slowly. This can result in a bad taste in the mouth or persistent bad breath.

Fever and a General Feeling of Being Unwell

An abscess is caused by an infection and this means that the problem has the potential to spread from the tooth to the rest of the mouth or event to your body. If this happens, you could be dealing with complications that are a lot more serious. It's always advisable to seek treatment before it comes to this.

Taking Quick Action

Any kind of pain in your teeth should be reason enough to rush to the dentist. Not only can such pain be unbearable, it can also be the symptom of something more serious.

Delays in getting treatment among patients with an abscess have led to certain complications in the past. Sometimes surgical intervention is required to remove some of the diseased tissue. If you've recently had a procedure done like dental implants, you should especially be alert when it comes to possible infections.

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