When your teeth or gums become infected it can be a very uncomfortable and unpleasant experience. Bacterial infection takes hold in teeth and gums that are suffering from decay. When the tough enamel is penetrated by dental decay it exposes the sensitive cavity at the centre of the tooth, where the nerve is located. This can then become infected leading to toothache and dental abscesses.

When a tooth is infected in its root, the bacterial infection irritates the extremely sensitive dental nerve causing toothache. When the body fights back it produces excess white blood cells to kill off the infection. These can sometimes build up in tissue around the infected tooth causing a small abscess. This can be very painful and can be prone to bursting which can easily spread the infection.

Toothache and abscesses can both be prevented with increased cleaning far before it gets to this stage. Effective cleaning removes plaque, one of the main causes of tooth decay, this means that enamel is kept strong and healthy and infections cannot penetrate to the centre of the tooth. If the infection has taken hold it is essential that you visit a London dentist as soon as possible. A dentist can remove the infection, possibly using a root canal treatment, before filling the cavity and sealing it with a dental crown. Dentists are also trained to remove abscesses without spreading the infection to other areas of the mouth. It is important to remove any infected matter as it can cause tooth loss and has strong links to heart disease and even strokes.

Dental decay can be very damaging to the health of your teeth. It can be the cause of tremendous pain due to the exposure of the dental nerve to extremes of hot and cold and other stimuli. Once decay has penetrated the protective enamel layer this also exposes the softer central part of the tooth to bacteria and the possibility of infection. Should infection take hold in the central cavity the body will produce excess white blood cells to combat it. These white blood cells battle the infected material and eventually produce an unpleasant and nasty smelling substance called pus.

This pus can build up in pockets in the gum and around the tooth causing isolated swellings called abscesses. These areas can be very sensitive and can make even the simplest everyday activity such as talking and eating extremely difficult or even impossible. Furthermore, it is possible for the abscesses to swell to such a point that they become unstable. In these circumstances even a small knock can cause the abscess to burst. Not only will this be extremely unpleasant but it can also lead to a very dangerous infection spreading around the mouth and into the bloodstream. Recent studies have proved a link between dental infection and heart disease, and even strokes so it is important to prevent any dental infection entering the blood stream.

Visiting a City of London dentist every six months can help prevent dental decay reaching a point where it breeches the enamel and prevent infections and abscesses before they have time to start. If you think you have may have a dental abscess it is important to make an appointment with a dentist as soon as possible to prevent the spread of infection to other teeth. Treatment may involve anti-biotics and even tissue removal in extreme circumstances but the earlier the infection or abscess is treated the less severe the treatment will need to be.