Severe pain that radiates through your jawbone, and all the way to your neck and ears. Swelling in the cheeks. Fever. Difficulty breathing and swelling. These are among some of the symptoms you cannot ignore if you have an abscessed tooth.
Should you notice any of these symptoms, waste no time in seeing an emergency dentist. While each case is different, your doctor will begin with draining out the abscess. This process is beneficial for preventing infections and serves to help with the healing process.
Need to have that dental abscess looked at immediately? Here is what you can expect from the dentist when you go in with an abscessed or infected tooth:
1. Root Canal
For periapical abscess, and where your tooth may still be saved, the emergency dentist will perform a root canal procedure. This involves drilling into the teeth to drain out the abscess and remove any infected pulp tissue. What follows is filling up the pulp chamber.
2. Tooth Extraction
If, on the other hand, it's the emergency dentist's expert opinion that your tooth is too damaged and, as such, cannot be saved, then pulling out the tooth becomes the only option. After the extraction, the dentist will go ahead and drain out the abscess by cutting into it.
3. Removing Foreign Object
Something else that the dentist will need to pull out is any foreign body in your gums or teeth. A foreign body such as a broken toothbrush bristle can open the way for bacteria to get into your gums, leading to dental abscess.
4. A Round Of Antibiotics
If left untreated, the infection can develop into sepsis, which can be life-threatening in extreme cases. Again, the infection may spread to other body parts, including the neck. If you have a weak immune system and are at risk of the infection spreading, the emergency dentist will recommend a round of antibiotics. This is definitely the case if the infection has already spread to other parts of your body.
Dental abscess certainly qualifies as a dental emergency, and the sooner you see a dentist, the better -- and not just for your dental health. Pain relief, treating any infection and containing the spread of said infection are the ultimate goals of dental abscess treatment. Each case is different, of course, and the emergency dentist may use a combination of the highlighted treatment courses to achieve these goals.
Share6 November 2019
Miranda Raff here. My brother is a stressed-out dental student, so I'm starting this blog on his behalf. I work in a travel agency and my brother is mortified by the number of dental tourism stories I bring home. I book short holidays for people who seem as though they are going to enjoy some relaxation in an exotic country, only to learn that they plan to have cheap dental procedures. Whilst there are good dentists in developing countries, according to my brother, the complex procedures these people plan to have simply can't be finished in such a limited time. This blog is an attempt to inform you about the high skill levels and advanced technology found in Australian dental surgeries. New techniques are being developed every year and Australian dentists are at the forefront of offering these solutions. I really hope this blog helps you to appreciate our dentists.
