Tooth abscesses don't form overnight—there are multiple stages to formation, starting with enamel erosion and progressing to dentin decay, pulp decay, and finally abscess formation. This process can take weeks or even months.
Symptoms of an abscess in your tooth or gum may include: an intense, throbbing pain in the affected tooth or gum that may come on suddenly and gets gradually worse.
Abscesses can develop relatively quickly - as little as one or two days after the first signs of infection. They may progress undetected and therefore untreated, and develop for months or even years.
It often looks like a small pimple on the gum line, making it easy to spot. If left untreated, abscesses can quickly become a major health threat and bring about severe discomfort. The affected area may be red, swollen, hot to the touch, and extremely tender.
An abscess in a tooth can cause severe pain and serious side effects. However, an abscess doesn't happen overnight. It takes time for an abscess to develop and if you are careful you may be able to stop the abscess before it endangers your health.
When you sleep, your mouth produces less saliva so you don't keep swallowing all night. Unfortunately, less saliva helps bacteria and germs thrive. If you have bad breath in the morning, it's probably because a lack of saliva made it possible for bacteria and germs to grow their numbers overnight.
Sometimes it's not possible to see a dentist immediately, and if your tooth abscess popped while sleeping, you may have to wait a significant period until working hours. In the meantime, you can take several steps to help safeguard the health of your mouth. Use salty water to rinse your mouth.
Gum abscesses are slightly different from tooth abscesses, though they may share some of the same symptoms and treatments. A gum abscess is an infected pocket of tissue in the gums. There are two main types of gum abscess: gingival and periodontal.
Tooth abscess is absolutely a dental emergency. If you have a tooth abscess, you need to seek treatment immediately. Left untreated, abscess can lead to infection that spreads through the body causing serious and even life-threatening effects. The sooner these issues are treated the better!
Saltwater rinse
A saltwater rinse will kill off some of the bacteria in your mouth and irrigate your mouth. It can rinse some of the debris out of your mouth and if you have an abscess it can help break up the pus surrounding the tooth. You can use regular table salt and warm tap water to make a basic saltwater rinse.
To begin with, a tooth abscess does not go or die down on its own, and professional intervention is crucial to treat a dental abscess. In case a person does not treat a dental abscess in its initial stage, then the infection may last anywhere between 5 months to 12 months or even more.
Abscesses can develop in as little as one or two days after the first signs of an infection. You may not even be aware of them at first, and if untreated they can grow and last for months or even years.
Bacterial infections usually cause abscesses. A bacteria called Staphylococcus causes most abscesses. When bacteria enter your body, your immune system sends white blood cells to go fight the infection. This process causes inflammation, and the tissue nearby dies.
For your average person, a dental abscess may only occur once in a lifetime. However, this does not mean that they are not serious and that they cannot occur more often due to bad luck, uneven oral hygiene or any number of factors.
An X-ray of the aching tooth can help identify an abscess. Your dentist may also use X-rays to determine whether the infection has spread, causing abscesses in other areas. Recommend a CT scan. If the infection has spread to other areas within your neck, a CT scan may be used to see how severe the infection is.
Strictly speaking, a gum abscess occurs in the gums, while a tooth abscess occurs in the tooth itself. However, there is some overlap. For instance, a periodontal abscess often affects both the tooth and the gum. Also, sometimes, an infection in the tooth and pulp may lead to an infection in the gums.
Q: Can a dental abscess be hard? A: While most abscesses are usually soft and warm to the touch, occasionally they can feel firm or even hard to the touch. Anyone with a suspected abscess, jaw swelling, jaw pain or tooth pain who feels a hard lump in the mouth should see a dentist as soon as possible.
Tooth abscesses don't form overnight—there are multiple stages to formation, starting with enamel erosion and progressing to dentin decay, pulp decay, and finally abscess formation.
Diagnosis of Abscesses
Diagnosis of cutaneous and subcutaneous abscesses is by physical examination. Diagnosis of deep abscesses often requires imaging. Ultrasonography is noninvasive and detects many soft-tissue abscesses; CT is accurate for most, although MRI is usually more sensitive.
An abscess happens when your body tries to control infection by forming a wall around an infected area. Pus forms within this wall. As the amount of pus increases, the lump grows and causes pain. You can get an abscess anywhere in your body.
Do not attempt to squeeze or pop the abscess. We know it is tempting to “deflate” the bump that develops on the gums when you have a tooth abscess. The problem is that when you squeeze or pop the abscess, you actually introduce even more bacteria into the infection. Leave it alone!
If you have a fever and swelling in your face and you can't reach your dentist, go to an emergency room. Also go to the emergency room if you have trouble breathing or swallowing. These symptoms may indicate that the infection has spread deeper into your jaw, throat or neck or even to other areas of your body.
Elevate Your Head
Try sleeping with your head propped up on several pillows. Elevating your head higher than the rest of your body will prevent blood from pooling in your head and mouth. As a result, it improves circulation, decreases swelling, and alleviates some of the pain.