A dental abscess is a localized infection that can develop around the root of a tooth or within the surrounding gum and periodontal tissues.
Common symptoms include:
Some dental infections produce surprisingly little pain, particularly once pressure has found a pathway to drain.
At John E. Sullivan DDS, P.C., treatment begins by determining the source of the infection.
Dental imaging and clinical testing can help determine whether the infection originates from the pulp inside a tooth, periodontal tissues, or another source.
Definitive treatment may involve:
Antibiotics may be appropriate when there are signs that an infection is spreading or when certain systemic findings are present, but antibiotics alone usually do not eliminate the underlying dental source.
That distinction is important: the cause of the infection generally needs to be treated.
Dental infections can occasionally spread into deeper tissues and become medically serious.
Rapidly increasing facial swelling, difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing, swelling near the eye, significant fever, or other signs of systemic illness require urgent medical attention.