What Is An Abcessed Tooth?
The patient usually first complains of sensitivity to heat and cold in a tooth, though occasionally a dental Xray will pickup the abcess before such discomfort begins. If you have a tooth that has grown sensitive to hot and cold foods and beverages, by all means,
make an appointment and let Dr. Winchester look at it as soon as possible--before it gets worse.
Left untreated, the infection of an abcessed tooth can cause great pain, compromise your immune system, spread to other areas of the body, and may even become life threatening.
A Periapical Abscess
What is it and how does it happen?
A small cavity begins to grow. Left untreated, the cavity grows and expands. Slowly but surely, the decay spreads beneath the dentin, destroying more and more of the tooth structure. Finally, the decay enters the tooth pulp. If infection sets in, as it probably will, this is an abcessed tooth. A periapical abscess, that is, one where the infection occurs at the base of the tooth's root, is usually caused by deep decay or an accident (trauma to the tooth involving nerve damage). A periapically abscessed tooth will require either Root Canal Therapy or an Extraction. In some cases an antibiotic will also be prescribed.
There is also what is known as a Lateral Abcess that develops along the lateral surface of the tooth's root. In this situation, the infection develops outside the tooth and is almost always caused by periodontal (gum) disease. This type of abcess can be located deep under the gum line (periodontal) or near the gum line (gingival) but still requires treatment to prevent a worsening situation.
How can you prevent having an abcessed tooth? Regular dental checkups--twice a year or more often--and daily in-home dental care are the best insurance you have against developing this rather miserable problem.
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