If someone is dealing with a bad tooth that has become infected, they may eventually develop something called a dental abscess. This is a condition that should not be ignored. If the condition continues to be untreated, it may cause more serious complications. In fact, a person may risk losing their tooth or suffering a more serious infection that impacts other parts of the body.
Scheduling an appointment with a Downtown Dentist is the best way to know if this is an issue. Some other tips to know if an abscess may be the issue can be found here.
1. Bump, Boil, or Fistula on the Gums
Fistulas are pimple-like knots that are full of pus. If this bump is found in the gum tissue, in the same location where the tooth root would be, it is the sign of an abscess. These are also usually painful.
2. Pus in the Mouth
Usually, a gum boil will have a small hole inside that lets the infection start to drain. If someone notices pus in their mouth, there is a good chance they are dealing with a fistula.
3. Bad Odor or Taste in the Mouth
When pus begins to drain in the mouth, a person may begin to experience a bad taste. They may also notice a significant change in their breath, and other people may notice this, too.
4. Temperature Sensitivity
Pain does not always mean that someone is dealing with a dental abscess. For example, if someone begins to feel discomfort when they drink or eat something cold, it means there is some problem besides an infection problem. However, feeling pain with hot drinks and foods will usually mean a dental abscess.
5. Pressure Causes Pain
If pain is experienced when someone bites or chews something, it means they are dealing with a dental abscess or fractured tooth. Usually, fractured teeth wind up being abscessed. Even if someone is not dealing with discomfort that is too bad at first, they should schedule an appointment with their dentist to see what the underlying issue is.
6. Sharp and Unprovoked Pain
If someone experiences sporadic or unprovoked pain, it may be due to an abscess. It is also possible that the pain is going to wake a person up at night and, in this case, over-the-counter medicine will not be enough to handle the issue.
7. Swelling
This is not something that should not be ignored. Inflammation may begin near the gums of the tooth that is abscessed. If the issue is not handled, though, the swelling can begin to spread. Eventually, these issues can cause serious and dangerous problems.
8. High Fever
If the tooth has resulted in someone having a high fever, they are dealing with a serious condition. At this point, a person does not need to wait when it comes to scheduling an appointment with their dentist.
As anyone can see from the information here, an abscessed tooth is serious and something that should not be ignored. Keep the tips and information here in mind to help ensure that a problem like this is handled in a timely manner and that there are no serious issues that may arise, which could happen if an abscess is not treated.
