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An abscess is painful. And left untreated it can lead to serious problems. So its not something that anybody would want. But an abscess is also easy to prevent, with just regular cleaning and flossing.
A tooth abscess is an infection between the tooth and gum. It produces a pocket of puss, which is your immune system fighting the infection.
There are two main types of abscess. One appears at the tip of root of the tooth. This is the result of an infection inside the nerve of the tooth, which has spread to the surrounding gum. The other is an abscess that appears in the gum, and will almost always be linked to advanced gum disease (periodontal disease). Both types of abscess are painful and produce pus. They tend to be even more painful when exposed to heat, say by shrinking coffee or tea. A cold compress or liquid will partially alleviate the pain.
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An abscess should not be ignored. Left untreated it will always grow worse, and perhaps prove fatal. A spreading infection from the abscess will swiftly start to cause loss of gum and bone. In some cases an abscess in the back of the mouth can spread to the brain, which will be fatal.
Your immune system will try to fight the abscess, with some success. But if you immune system has a lot of other problems to deal with, or if it is weak, it will be overwhelmed. It is unlikely that the immune system will be able to remove the abscess on its own, especially if there is a gum infection to fight as well.
An abscess should be treated by the dentist. An untreated abscess is very dangerous.
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An abscess may require a root canal treatment to remove the nerve of the damaged tooth. This is a little complex, but it will remove the pain quite quickly. Contrary to popular opinion a root canal treatment is not actually painful, it actually removes the pain of an infection.
The dentist will also take measures to fight the gum infection, which may include antibiotics.
In the meantime it helps to gargle salt water, which fights the infection.
A healthy diet will both reduce the risk of an abscess, and help fight any abscess we already have.
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Any pain in the mouth is serious, and should be treated by a dentist. This qualifies as a dental emergency, so an immediate dental appointment can be arranged.
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