2023-05-02 14:25:28
02 May 2023
A sharp pain inside the mouth. What if it was a dental abscess? Causes, symptoms and care, we tell you everything.
A badly treated cavity. This is often the origin of the dental abscess. It is actually a bacterial infection with a buildup of pus, “consisting of a mixture of white blood cells, necrotic tissue and bacteria”, details the online version of the Merck manual. This pus collects where the body is fighting infection.
In detail, the abscess is therefore caused by the infiltration of bacteria into the pulp of the tooth, in the event of deep decay or a cracked tooth, which causes severe pain. This can extend to the gums, cheeks and jaw bone. This pain is constant, and increases with chewing. It is accompanied by sensitivity to hot or cold food, swelling of the gums, even the jaw and cheeks, and sometimes fever.
Possible complications
“A dental abscess never heals on its own and, if left untreated, can lead to complications”, warns Medicare. It must therefore absolutely be treated by a dental surgeon. After a possible x-ray of the tooth, he proceeds to drain the abscess to evacuate the pus, removes the infected pulp and replaces it with a paste, in order to avoid a new infection. When the abscess is severe, tooth extraction may be necessary. All these operations are performed under local anesthesia to avoid pain.
To note : according to Medicare, dental abscesses caused by untreated cavities are also an indirect consequence of “fear of the dentist”. She estimates that one in four patients does not consult their dentist regularly, for fear of pain. This leaves plenty of time for cavities to develop and degenerate into an abscess.
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