What is a dental abscess?

A dental abscess is an accumulation of pus that develops inside the teeth or gums. The abscess is usually caused from a bacterial infection. Bacterium exists in plaque and plaque exists in your mouth on your teeth, which is why you need to see a dentist on a regular basis. The Vartanian Dental Group in Mission Viejo has a state of the art office and equipment to take care of that nasty plaque that commonly builds up on your teeth. Be sure to make your appointment every 4 to 6 months, depending on how much build you have.

If you suspect that you have a dental abscess, make a call to The Vartanian Dental Group in Mission Viejo. This severe infection is nothing to mess around with. There are two types of infections that are of concern to dentists. One is periapical abscess, the most frequently occurring kind. This one begins in the dental pulp. An abscess that starts in bones or other tissues that surround teeth is called periodontal abscess. Fluid typically collects in this soft gum tissue making the area extremely painful.

Most of these dental abscesses are caused when the formation of a cavity is not interrupted and continues to sink ever deeper into the tooth structures. Finally, the pulp tissue inside the root is involved and becomes infected. This pulp tissue dies and worsens the infection. Again, this is nothing to take lightly and any kind of redness, pus build up or pain, make a call to the Vartanian Dental Group in Mission Viejo. They are experts at all phases of dentistry and have specialists in house to take care of all your dental or dental emergency needs.

Other possible causes of dental abscesses are cracks in teeth or even periodontal disease. Regardless of the causes the extent of the dental abscess has the possibility of becoming very widespread. Bone and soft tissue can become involved. A condition known as septicemia or blood infection may result from a dental abscess that spreads to the contiguous blood vessels.

Septicemia as well as Ludwig’s Angina, which can result in an airway constriction, may result, albeit infrequently, from dental abscesses. Both of these are very serious outcomes and require emergency medical care.

Two traditional treatments exist for dental abscesses before more serious problems result. The first is extraction of the tooth. The second is a root canal which is the combination of a pulp removal followed by root filling. This filling material is not of the amalgam type used in surface teeth cavities. Rather a plastic called isoprene is melted and poured into the treated root. The whole process requires at least two office visits with a specialist called an endodontist. The second appointment usually is needed to place a cap on the treated tooth. Again, all of this can easily be scheduled at the Vartanian Dental Group of Orange County.

Any treatment for abscess is unpleasant at best. Pain relievers and antibiotics may help some before treatment, but the extraction or root canal must still be scheduled. Brushing, flossing and rinsing will not heal this wound. You need get this taken care of immediately because the abscess can spread and cause other more serious problems.

If more than one tooth is abscessed, the treatment can be very painful. The Vartanian Dental Group will take all necessary precautions to numb you to take away most of your discomfort. There are many other considerations that must be taken into account before electing between these two treatments. One is that a root canal may not solve the problem for very long. The tooth can still decay further and may eventually still need to be extracted, which is why you should only see Dr James Vartanian at the Vartanian Dental Group. He and his staff of professionals know the exact procedure to take care of this in a quick and pain free way. Call immediately if you are experiencing these types of symptoms.