What can you do for an abscess tooth?

There’s nothing worse than a pesky abscess tooth. It’s like having a tiny troll live under your gumline – except this troll is accompanied by pain, swelling and an undeniable desire to avoid all forms of food that aren’t served in liquid form.

But fear not, dear reader! In this article we’ll be exploring everything you need to know about treating an abscess tooth – from the common symptoms to the best home remedies available. Let’s dive in!

What is an Abscess Tooth?

Before we start looking at treatment options, it’s important to understand exactly what an abscess tooth is. Essentially, it’s a painful infection that occurs within or around the root of your tooth. This can happen when bacteria enters through a cavity, crack or chip in your tooth and spreads into the soft tissue below.

The infection typically causes swelling, inflammation and intense pain – leaving patients desperate for relief.

Symptoms Of An Abscess Tooth

Identifying whether you’re dealing with an abscessed tooth can be tough – especially if you’ve never experienced one before. However here are some common signs and symptoms:

• Severe throbbing pain
• Sensitivity when eating hot or cold foods/drinks
• Swelling on gums or jawline
• Discomfort when biting down
• Difficulty opening your mouth
• Foul taste/smell coming from mouth

If any of these sound familiar then chances are good that you’re dealing with an abscessed-tooth nightmare.

How To Treat A Dental Abscess At Home

Your first instinct might be to run straight to the dentist – but there are actually plenty of things you can do from home as well.

1) Apply Warm Compresses: Massaging warm compress against affected area helps reducing inflammation. Simply soak clean cloth/gauze/socks (nope no socks just kidding) in warm water and place over the area to bring relief.

2) Rinse With Saltwater: Gargling using saltwater helps reducing swelling, while also cleansing your mouth of harmful bacteria. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt in lukewarm water and use it as a mouthwash for couple minutes.

3) Essential Oils & Herbs: Applying clove oil can help alleviate tooth pain after absorption by dentin (dentin is hard substance beneath enamel), drawing out any infection with its anti-inflammatory properties. Tea tree oil also bears anti-bacterial properties for temporary soothing effect.

4) Pain Management Medications: Over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen can help manage abscessed-tooth discomfort until you’re able to see dentist.

While these remedies may not cure your teeth entirely, they certainly make symptoms more bearable until professional treatment takes place.

When To Seek Professional Treatment

As helpful as home remedies can be – there are certain situations where seeing a dentist simply cannot wait:

• Symptoms lasting longer than two days
• Swelling on other parts of head or neck
• Difficulty breathing/swallowing/talking
• High fever

In most cases, dental abscess will need to be drained by professional allowing space for dead tissues/infectious cells to leave and avoid further spreading – this process is called incision & drainage or I&D

What Happens During Incision And Drainage?

If you require an incision and drainage procedure, here’s what you should expect:

1) Numbing agent application around affected area.
2) Using scalpel/laser/incision tool surgeon creates small opening near base of infected tooth.
3) Surgeon drains pus/foul fluid from swelling/elevated gums inside effected root canal if required; making sure no infectious cells remain at base.
4)Likely placing gauze/cloth on the affected area and providing antibiotics if needed.

This process typically takes around an hour – and while it may sound scary, it’s actually a quick and effective way of dealing with the problem.

Prevention Is Key

The best course of action when dealing with an abscess tooth is prevention. Consistent dental care, avoiding excessive sugar intake, practicing good oral hygiene habits such as routine brushing twice daily, flossing at least once a day or using inter-dental brushers carefully

An ounce of prevention is always worth several months of expensive dental bills – so we highly recommend putting in that extra effort to keep your teeth clean and healthy.

The Takeaway

There you have it folks–everything you need to know about treating an abscessed tooth! From basic home remedies all the way up to professional treatment procedures. We hope this information has been helpful (and we hope you’re not experiencing any troubles). If you are suffering however, return back to our tips — just don’t use moist sock as warm compress; that remains ill-advised despite everything else being factual lol.