Most of us have heard of this scary sounding tooth ailment: an abscess. Usually it ends in a very unpleasant, but relieving trip to the dentist.
Just what IS an abscess anyway?
A tooth abscess forms when infectious bacteria enter the tooth or the deep gum and trigger the body’s immune response to send white blood cells to combat the infection. Unfortunately, if given no room to properly drain, the dead and living white blood cells build up along with the bacteria, creating a painful pocket of pus called an abscess.
You may be wondering how you’d even know if you had one, and trust me you would. There would be radiating, throbbing pain from the point of origin. This could affect your jaw, other teeth, throat, and/or feel like a headache. You could develop sensitivity to pressure and temperature, making it difficult to eat or drink. You could also experience fever and swelling of your mouth and/or lymph nodes around the throat. Keep in mind that if you are having discomfort or difficulty breathing and/or swallowing, do NOT self diagnose.
See your doctor and be safe and smart.
So, now that we know what an abscess is and what it does, let’s talk about causes… A tooth abscess can be caused, like you read above, by bacteria entering the tooth or deep gum. This can happen if your tooth is cracked or chipped, you have a cut in your gums, or if food gets lodged way down between your tooth and gum. A high sugar diet and poor dental hygiene can also contribute to causing an abscess.
How can you avoid this painful infection?
I’m glad you asked. Proper and consistent dental care and hygiene are very important. Be sure to brush and floss regularly, and also keep in mind to get a new toothbrush about every three months since bacteria can build up in frayed bristles. Invest in a daily antiseptic mouth rinse… This can help dislodge any stuck food and kill bacteria in a pinch. Add some more healthy items to your diet. Raw fruits and vegetables are not only good for your teeth, but the rest of your body as well! Of course most importantly, always keep up with those dental checkups and cleanings to be sure all is well and you won’t be surprised by one of these gross and painful abscesses in your mouth.
Hopefully now with a better understanding on what and abscess is, you can be well on your way to a healthily smile!