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Abscessed teeth are a common problem that can cause great pain and discomfort as well as pose serious risks to your oral health. Various symptoms may be an indication of abscessed teeth, the most obvious of which being intense, throbbing pain. The pain will likely be a sudden occurrence and increase over the following hours and days; due to damage to the nerve you may feel the pain beyond just the tooth in to your neck, jaw or ears. You may also experience tenderness of the tooth, high sensitivity to temperature, an unpleasant taste, fever and generally feeling ill.
If you begin to feel any of these symptoms you should visit your London dentist as soon as possible. Abscess’ normally come in two types: ‘periapical’ and ‘peridontal’. The former being a cavity that kills the pulp of your tooth and becomes infected. The later is due to plaque building up around your gums and allowing infection to spread underneath your gums. Both cases, if left untreated, can cause serious damage through spreading to the underlying bones that hold the teeth in place, risking the loss of the infected tooth.
After diagnosis your dentist will be able to treat the abscessed teeth through removing the abscess and drain any infection (in the form of pus). A local anaesthetic will generally be used for the procedure. A periapical abscess will require root canal treatment to fully remove the infection. The dentist will drill down into the infected tooth and remove any infected tissue from the pulp. To return functionality and stop repeat infection the dentist will insert a root filling. A periodontal abscess will involve the dentist draining the pus and cleaning the pocket that has developed in the gum lining. Scaling and polishing below the gum line will allow the tooth to heal and stop any further infection. For very serious cases the dentist may refer you to a dental surgeon. Painkillers and antibiotics can be prescribed after the procedure to help with recovery and prevent re-infection.