Why You Should Act Immediately If You Get an Abscessed Tooth

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Have you been a little careless with your oral health over the last few years? You may have been brushing your teeth every day, but have you been flossing properly and taking your time to do so? If you have a natural aversion to the dentist, you may have skipped some of those scheduled visits, and when you take everything into account, you may have been lining yourself up for problems. Now, you're experiencing some pain, and it's likely due to an abscess. What should you be looking out for here and can this be dangerous?

Your Attention Needed

An abscess can be caused in a number of different ways, but it is linked to a mid-level infection that can spread to other areas of your body if you're not careful.

Growing Infection

If one of your teeth is in need of a filling, then parts of it may have deteriorated, and when this happens, it can become full of a yellowish fluid that's not able to drain away properly. The nerve may be impacted and be in the process of dying, and as this abscessed tooth forms, pain will begin to radiate.

You may notice a shooting and throbbing pain that will not go away, no matter what you do, and you may have a rather bitter taste in your mouth, even if you clean your teeth. The glands in the lower part of your neck may be sensitive or swollen as your body tries to fight off this infection and you may also suffer from elevated body temperature or fever, again as a natural defence.

As the situation becomes worse, you may notice that your mouth and jaw start to swell, and you will find it increasingly difficult to eat or to move your mouth in any way. The throbbing pain will get worse and will spread to other areas.

Don't Delay

By this time, you should have already picked up the phone and made an appointment with the emergency dentist, as the symptoms will surely become unbearable. Don't delay this situation any longer though, as an infection like this can quickly spread through your bloodstream to other areas of the body and, in the worst-case scenario, could lead to hospitalisation.

Taking Action

The good news is that you should be able to get quick relief when you visit an emergency dentist, as they will help to irrigate the area while prescribing you some antibiotics to deal with the infection.


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