Tooth abscess is a painful infection at the root of a tooth or between the gum and a tooth. It's most commonly caused by severe tooth decay.
What are the Symptoms of an Abscessed Tooth?
A toothache that is severe and continuous and results in gnawing or throbbing pain or sharp or shooting pain are common symptoms of an abscessed tooth. Other symptoms may include:
Treatment of an Abscessed tooth ?
Strategies to eliminate the infection, preserve the tooth, and prevent complications are the goals of treatment for an abscessed tooth.
To eliminate infection, the abscess may need to be drained. Achieving drainage may be done through the tooth by a procedure known as a root canal. Root canal surgery may also be recommended to remove any diseased root tissue after the infection has subsided. Then, a crown may be placed over the tooth.
The tooth may also be extracted, allowing drainage through the socket.
Finally, a third way to drain the abscess would be by incision into the swollen gum tissue
Visiting the dentist aims to maintain healthy teeth and bright smile for life. It is very important to choose a dentist that you trust and feel comfort and peace. during your first visit the dentist will ask for full information about your health. And then listen to the main reason for coming to the dental clinic. The doctor then examine your case and explain the needs of your teeth and put your treatment plan. Dental plans include:
• address the main reason for visiting the dentist (dental pain , cosmetic dentistry, cleaning or teeth whitening).
• address other problems in the mouth before they aggravate (such as removing decay before it reaches the nerve or extracting the tooth before it causes significant inflammation, etc.)
• preventive measures to avoid problems and pains (teeth cleaning and preventive fillings).
• explaining how to maintain and care of teeth and gums (as explaining the correct way of brushing teeth, flossing)
How can the dentist help me to maintain my teeth health ?
• Full Cleanliness..
One of the objectives of your visits to your dentist regularly is brushing your teeth fully, either done by the dentist or his deputy the specialist of oral and dental health. The oral and dental health specialist will to remove plaque and tartar accumulated under the gums, which may cause gum disease and tooth decay and bad breath and other health problems. It also includes the cleaning process to refine and polish your teeth.
• integrated medical examinations..
During your visit your doctor will conduct comprehensive medical examinations for your teeth and gums and mouth. He aims to maintain your teeth and mouth health care , and help you to avoid aggravating any health problem affecting your teeth by examining and treating it in its early stages.
• X-ray ..
the use of X-rays depends on your age, the extent of the disease and its symptoms. The X-ray helps your doctor in the detection of oral and dental diseases that cannot be seen by visual examination only (such as the depth of tooth decay, damage to the jawbones, teeth penetration between the jaw bones and other teeth, tooth abscess, any tumors affect the mouth or jaws).
in the modern dental clinics you will find X-ray machines that do not produce any significant amounts of radiation - compared to those emitted from the sun or the television. You have to wear a visor lead to protect yourself from any side effects may affect you as a result of your exposure to x-rays.
In the case of pregnant women visit to the dentist, they must inform the dentist of their pregnancy , which shall be considered when using X-rays except in cases of extreme necessity.
When the dentist takes a comprehensive X-ray or CT scan, that will help him to see the upper and lower jaw clearly within one image, which also helps him understand the nature of occlusion and the relationship between your teeth and mandibular arch.
Frequency of visit ?
If your teeth and gums are healthy, you often have to visit the dentist only once a year. If your doctor considers it necessary to provide a specific treatment methods such as: dental filling , remove wisdom teeth, or repair a broken crown, you should make an appointment with another doctor before leaving the clinic. And do not forget to ask your doctor to answer all your questions regarding the health of your mouth and your teeth because you will not find better than him to help you .then to arrange his treatment plan that includes solving all the problems of existing teeth in addition to a plan to avoid any problems in the future.