The dental abscess is a painful, serious infection that develops after bacteria accumulate around tooth structures. The infection develops primarily from untreated cavities together with gum disease and tooth trauma, causing swelling and intense pain. If untreated, the infection could spread throughout the body, resulting in severe medical conditions.

Seeking dental treatment after detecting early signs of a dental abscess prevents severe oral health damage. At Los Angeles Advanced Dentistry, we diagnose and treat dental abscesses to help patients recover their comfort and well-being. If you have any sign of abscess, we are ready to treat you.

What is a Dental Abscess?

A dental abscess develops as an infection that forms locally in or near a tooth because of bacterial accumulation, resulting in severe pain and tissue swelling. Bacteria invade tooth structures and gum tissue layers, creating an infected area that accumulates pus.

The infection develops when patients fail to treat cavities, manage periodontal disease, or experience dental trauma. The infection's progression increases pressure within the abscess, producing severe pain and tissue swelling. 

The body's immune system tries to fight the infection, but lack of treatment worsens the condition. It could also cause jawbone damage and possibly spread to body parts.

Tooth Anatomy and Infection Pathways

The dental structure features three main sections: the enamel layer, dentin layer, and inner pulp tissue. The pulp chamber is at the tooth's center, holding nerves and blood vessels needed to maintain tooth vitality. Bacterial invasion through enamel erosions allows the microbes to reach the pulp, creating an infection that results in abscess development. 

Bacteria accumulate in deep gum pockets from advanced gum disease, thus causing abscesses in the periodontal structures. Partially erupted wisdom teeth can provide bacteria access to the mouth, leading to pericoronitis abscesses. Also, the improper sterilization of dental procedures, including fillings or crowns, occasionally permits bacteria to enter the mouth. 

Types of Dental Abscesses

Bacterial infections cause localized collections of pus, which form different types of abscesses depending on their origin and location in the mouth. The various types are:

  1. Periapical Abscesses

The dental pulp, which contains nerves and blood vessels, originates from periapical abscesses, which emerge as the most frequent dental abscess. The root tip is where periapical abscesses develop.

Most dental abscesses occur as periapical abscesses because they develop when people fail to receive treatment for dental decay or experience traumatic events. The dental pulp becomes infected when bacteria enter, thus causing the root apex to develop an infection with pus accumulation. 

  1. Periodontal Abscesses

A periodontal abscess develops as a localized pus collection inside the periodontal tissues when a tooth exists. The periodontal abscess appears inside the gum tissue and surrounding bone structures that support the tooth.

Advanced periodontal disease serves as the main condition for developing these rare abscesses. The abscess typically appears as a tender, swollen area that develops near the tooth on the gums.

The main cause of periodontal abscesses is bacterial accumulation within periodontal pockets, creating infections. The development of periodontal abscesses happens because of insufficient oral hygiene practices, untreated periodontitis, and impactions of food particles.

  1. Pericoronitis

A partially erupted tooth causes inflammation of the gums, which results in pericoronitis, specifically affecting the lower wisdom teeth. A tooth that only partially appears through the gums forms a tissue flap that retains food debris and bacteria, leading to abscess development and infection. The symptoms of this condition include mouth pain, swollen tissues, and restricted mouth movement.

Dental Abscess Signs and Symptoms

The localized infection produces several indicators that show infection advancement.

Common Symptoms

A dental abscess presents multiple symptoms that differ in intensity levels. These include:

  • Pain and Tenderness

The main indicator of a dental abscess includes enduring severe throbbing pain that affects either the tooth or the adjacent gum tissue. The pain symptoms develop quickly before worsening and spreading to the jawbone, neck, and ear on the same side of the infected tooth region. Sleep becomes disrupted when the pain intensifies because of lying down. The discomfort intensifies when patients bite or chew while the pressure sensitivity of the affected tooth increases. 

  • Visual Signs

A dental abscess shows itself through multiple visible symptoms, including:

  • Discolored tooth
  • Red and swollen gums that feel tender to touch
  • Swelling on your face, cheek, or neck
  • Skin stretching with a shiny surface effect
  • Swelling and tenderness of the lymph nodes located under the jaw or in the neck region
  • Systemic Symptoms

The body shows signs of fighting the bacterial invasion through various systemic symptoms when the infection advances. For example, fever, which helps the body resist infection. Draining pus causes bad breath and a foul taste in the mouth.

  • Gum Boil (Parulis)

A parulis, which is medically known as a gum boil, appears as a small pimple-like swelling on the gum tissue near an infected tooth. The lesion functions as a drainage point because it facilitates pus removal from the abscess. A gum boil rupture may ease the pressure but fails to eliminate the ongoing infection in the affected area. The appropriate treatment must come from dental professionals to eliminate the origin of the problem.

Severe Symptoms

A dental abscess may lead to severe symptoms that demand urgent medical intervention in particular situations. Patients should identify these vital warning signs because they are considered medical emergencies.

  • Spreading Infection Symptoms

When bacterial infection from dental abscesses spreads throughout the body, it leads to severe health dangers. Symptoms include breathing difficulties, swallowing problems, severe swelling, or a fever with chills. These signals show that the infection has reached deeper tissues, which may develop into cellulitis or Ludwig's angina. Ludwig’s angina obstructs your airway and causes bacterial endocarditis, which causes infection in your heart.

The most concerning warning signs of infection spreading through the body include high fever, chills, and fatigue or weakness. An advancing infection through your body can create facial, jaw, or neck swelling, affecting your mouth-opening abilities, swallowing capability, and breathing functions.

Red streaks on your skin extending from the infected area signal a bloodstream infection, which medical professionals call sepsis. Warning signs that demand urgent emergency care include a rapid heart rate, dizziness, confusion, and low blood pressure. 

Causes and Risk Factors

Several factors increase your risk of developing an abscess, but anyone can still experience this condition. These include:

Bacterial Infection

​​Every dental abscess develops due to bacterial infection. The bacteria in your mouth reproduce uncontrollably until they break through your tooth and gum layers to cause infection. The immune response to bacterial intrusion in the tooth pulp results in abscess formation as your body creates a pocket of pus to combat the infection.

An untreated cavity is the main route for bacterial penetration into your teeth. Your enamel dissolves through acid production by bacteria after they consume sugary or starchy foods. Bacterial infiltration occurs through tooth decay as the process advances to create small holes that let bacteria penetrate the pulp chamber.

When bacterial infection reaches the pulp, it triggers a body response that sends white blood cells to the site, which causes swelling and pus accumulation, resulting in an abscess.

Bacteria can enter the tooth through fractured teeth. The inner tooth layers become exposed when microscopic fractures appear because of tooth injuries, biting hard objects, or grinding. Aging dental fillings and crowns eventually deteriorate to create spaces that bacteria use to invade.

The development of abscesses occurs through existing gum infections. In its advanced stage, periodontal disease occurs from neglected plaque and tartar buildup, which destroy gum tissue while forming deep pockets surrounding teeth. 

Poor Dental Hygiene

​​Failure to practice oral care is the leading cause of dental abscess formation. Your failure to brush and floss regularly allows plaque to build up on your teeth and gums, providing an ideal environment for dangerous bacteria to thrive. 

Regular brushing fails to eliminate the buildup of tartar, which eventually turns into permanent material. The duration of bacterial presence in your mouth directly correlates with the development of cavities and gum disease until it progresses to bacterial infection, resulting in an abscess formation.

​​How you practice oral care daily directly affects your ability to stop infections. Neglecting your daily brushing and flossing routine allows food debris and bacteria to stay in your tooth crevices and gum line. 

Bacteria create acidic substances that dissolve tooth enamel, leading to tooth decay and possible infection. Proper oral care maintenance for only a few days allows bacteria to multiply rapidly, speeding up cavity formation until the pulp reaches its target.

The practice of omitting fluoride toothpaste and failing to schedule dental checkups leads to unfavorable oral health conditions. Fluoride adds strength to enamel, which enables it to withstand bacterial assaults better. 

Medications Causing Dry Mouth (Xerostomia)

Xerostomia develops when medications, including prescriptions and over-the-counter (OTC) types, decrease saliva production. Saliva has three essential functions: food particle removal, acid neutralization, and bacterial prevention. A decreased saliva flow creates conditions where bacteria multiply rapidly, which leads to cavities and gum disease, resulting in abscess formation.

The most frequent medications that cause dry mouth include high blood pressure medications along with antidepressants, diuretics, and antihistamines. Regular users of these medications often experience long-term dryness in their mouths, mouth stickiness, and swallowing issues. The absence of moisture creates conditions where plaque grows faster, which results in accelerated tooth decay alongside gum inflammation.

Immunocompromised Individuals

Medical conditions or treatments that weaken your immune system result in a high risk of dental abscess development. Your body fights infections as an essential defense against harmful bacteria, which protects you from minor oral health issues developing into dangerous infections.

Bacterial infections that result in dental abscesses become more likely for patients who have diabetes, HIV/AIDS, or suffer from autoimmune diseases because these health conditions slow healing processes and make bacterial infections more dangerous.

The weakened immune system of chemotherapy and radiation therapy patients and organ transplant recipients allows bacteria to attack soft mouth tissues without restraint easily.

People with weakened immune systems face quicker and more intense oral infection progression that results in extensive tissue inflammation, severe pain, and potential systemic complications. An untreated abscess sometimes develops into sepsis, which becomes life-threatening because the infection spreads from the mouth into the bloodstream.

Diagnosis and Evaluation

A dental abscess needs an immediate diagnosis to determine the appropriate treatment. Your dentist will use multiple diagnostic procedures in an extensive evaluation process.

Dental Examination

Your dentist starts the diagnostic procedure by examining your mouth. A dental examination includes checking for visible symptoms such as gum swelling, redness, and pus drainage.

Your dentist will perform a sensitivity test by lightly tapping the affected tooth because toothache from an abscess usually results in intense pain. Swelling in your facial area or neck region indicates the infection has spread from the tooth abscess.

The dental examination includes searching for gum boils or parulis that appear as small pus-filled bumps on the gums. The abscessed area releases pus through these formations, which helps decrease internal pressure. The presence of bad breath, together with an unpleasant taste in your mouth, confirms a deep-rooted infection.

X-Ray Imaging

The dentist will use X-rays to obtain better visualization of the abscessed area. A periapical X-ray reveals dark spots at the tooth root to diagnose periapical abscesses because these spots show both infection and bone deterioration. The dentist will use panoramic X-ray imaging to analyze bone and tissue areas when the infection is suspected to spread outside the original site.

Aspiration and Culture

Your dentist might extract pus from the abscess to identify the bacterial infection when the condition is severe or recurring. The culture test identifies the best antibiotic therapy when your abscess requires different medication from standard treatments. Your dentist may perform blood tests to determine bloodstream infection when your immune system is weak due to underlying health conditions.

Treatment Options for Dental Abscess

Immediate dental abscess treatment helps eliminate infections, reduce pain symptoms, and minimize possible complications. A dentist will evaluate the extent of your abscess to create a suitable treatment strategy that suits your condition. Treatment options for dental abscesses include the following:

Draining the Abscess

Draining the abscess is the primary treatment step because it removes pus while reducing pressure to help minimize pain. The accumulated pus can be drained from the swollen area completely through an incision made by your dentist.

The surgical procedure both kills bacteria and accelerates the healing process. Additional treatment steps might be required to eliminate the infection after drainage.

Root Canal Treatment

When infection spreads to the tooth pulp and its structural integrity remains intact, root canal treatment is the most suitable option. The procedure removes infection from the tooth and protects its natural state to stop unnecessary extraction.

After administering local anesthesia, your dentist removes infected pulp tissue from the tooth while cleaning and sealing the root canals to prevent recurring infections. They will begin with a temporary filling before a permanent dental crown is installed to protect and restore tooth strength and functionality.

Tooth Extraction

The severe nature of tooth damage or advanced infection requires extraction as the most suitable treatment option. Removing the affected tooth blocks the further spread of infection toward neighboring teeth and surrounding tissues.

Medications

Dental abscess treatment receives supplementary support from medications that control pain symptoms and fight new infections. If dental discomfort persists, your dentist will provide medicine recommendations, which include ibuprofen and acetaminophen at the prescription level.

The doctor will provide prescription painkillers to patients who experience severe dental abscess symptoms. A cold compress applied to the affected area decreases swelling while relieving temporary pain.

Patients receive an antibiotic prescription if the tooth abscess spreads to nearby tissues. Your dentist will prescribe antibiotics such as amoxicillin, clindamycin, or metronidazole to eliminate bacteria and stop complications from developing.

Prevention Strategies

Dental abscess prevention is less costly than treating the condition. Prevention measures include:

  • Oral hygiene maintenance. Experts recommend that patients should brush their teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and use antimicrobial mouthwash and floss daily to remove interdental plaque.
  • Diet changes. Reducing sugar consumption, among other changes to your diet, helps decrease acid production.
  • Regular dentist visits. Professional dental examinations at least once a year help discover dental issues early and include thorough professional cleaning services.
  • Stopping smoking. The habit of smoking should be avoided since it leads to weakened gums and makes infections more likely.

Find a Dental Abscess Dentist Near Me

If you have symptoms of dental abscess, you require the immediate intervention of a dentist. A dental abscess requires immediate treatment because failure to seek medical help leads to major health risks that result in widespread infections in your body. Getting prompt help from a dental professional at the beginning of any dental issue is an ideal way to defend your teeth, gums, and overall health.

At Los Angeles Advanced Dentistry, we offer specialized dental abscess treatment. We will treat the problem to protect your tooth and avoid major health complications. Contact us for trusted dental care and treatment of dental abscess symptoms at 310-361-2080.