A dental abscess needs to be identified and treated as soon as possible so that your dentist can save your tooth. If you are online and searching for “family dentistry in Mesa, AZ,” then you are likely to find various dental professionals experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of abscessed teeth. Here are some common symptoms of a dental abscess and effective treatment options your dentist may recommend.
Dental Abscess Symptoms
One of the most common symptoms of a dental abscess, also known as a severe tooth infection, is throbbing tooth pain. Other symptoms may include gum inflammation, bad breath, an unpleasant taste in your mouth, and green or yellow drainage oozing out of your tooth or gum tissue.
While pain is often present, you may not experience pain even though you have a dental abscess. This is because severe abscesses can damage the nerve of your tooth, resulting in very little or no pain. The soft tissue surrounding the affected tooth may also bleed and you may also develop swollen lymph nodes in your neck.
Dental Abscess Treatments
Your dentist may make a small incision in the area of the abscess so that the pus can be drained. After the area has been drained and cleaned, your dentist may prescribe oral antibiotics to help ensure that the infection resolves.
Your online “family dentistry in Mesa, AZ” searches may also reveal the names of dentists who specialize in root canal treatments. Root canals are often recommended for abscessed teeth because they can help salvage the tooth. In rare cases where a root canal cannot save the tooth, then your dentist may need to perform an extraction.