10 Symptoms of an Abscessed Tooth
A dental abscess or tooth abscess is a collection of pus that is associated with a specific tooth. The two commonest types of tooth abscess are periapical abscess followed by periodontal abscess. Other less common types are gingival abscess, pericoronal abscess, and combined periodontic endodontic abscess. A periapical abscess is usually caused by a bacterial infection that is found in the soft pulp of the tooth. It can be caused by a broken tooth, decay, extensive periodontal disease or a combination of all three factors. It is important to differentiate a periapical and periodontal abscess as the management of both conditions are different.
Diagnosis can be aided by a dental radiograph. The goal of treatment in a tooth abscess is to eliminate the offending pathogen. This means that treatment includes antibiotics and drainage of pus. Depending on whether if the tooth can be restored, a root canal therapy (for a restorable tooth) or extraction and curettage (for non-restorable) may be performed. A severe case that is left untreated can result in the perforation of the bone extending into surrounding soft tissues resulting in osteomyelitis and cellulitis.
