What Are the Symptoms of an Abscessed Tooth?

To eliminate infection, the abscess may need to be drained. Achieving drainage may be done through the tooth by a procedure known as a root canal. Root canal surgery may also be recommended to remove any diseased root tissue after the infection has subsided. Then, a crown may be placed over the tooth. 

A toothache that is severe and continuous and results in gnawing or throbbing pain or sharp or shooting pain are common symptoms of an abscessed tooth. Other symptoms may include:

• Fever
• Pain when chewing
• Sensitivity of the teeth to hot or cold
• Bitter taste in the mouth
• Foul smell to the breath
• Swollen neck glands
• General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling
• Redness and swelling of the gums
• Swollen area of the upper or lower jaw
• An open, draining sore on the side of the gum

If the root of the tooth dies as a result of infection, the toothache may stop. However, this doesn't mean the infection has healed; the infection remains active and continues to spread and destroy tissue. Therefore, if you experience any of the above listed symptoms, it is important to see a dentist even if the pain subsides.

How Is an Abscessed Tooth Diagnosed?

Your dentist will probe your teeth with a dental instrument. If you have an abscessed tooth, you will feel pain when the tooth is tapped by your dentist's probe. Your dentist will also ask you if your pain increases when you bite down or when you close your mouth tightly. In addition, your dentist may suspect an abscessed tooth because your gums may be swollen and red.

Your dentist may also take X-rays to look for erosion of the bone around the abscess.

How Is an Abscessed Tooth Treated?

Strategies to eliminate the infection, preserve the tooth, and prevent complications are the goals of treatment for an abscessed tooth.

The tooth may also be extracted, allowing drainage through the socket.

Finally, a third way to drain the abscess would be by incision into the swollen gum tissue.

Antibiotics are prescribed to help fight the infection. To relieve the pain and discomfort associated with an abscessed tooth, warm salt-water rinses and over-the-counter pain medication like ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin) can be used.

The inflammation and pain of abscesses may be relieved with a low-level laser, making the patient more comfortable to receive the injection in a more painless way.