One second you are enjoying what seems like a perfectly healthy smile and the next, you’re experiencing throbbing discomfort and a diagnosis of an abscessed tooth. While you might assume you would have some type of warning sign along the way, it’s entirely possible that you might not. “That’s just great!” you might think to yourself. “So an abscess can just happen out of nowhere?” Well, that’s the area in which you’re missing a bit of information. Take a moment to become familiar with how this can happen to your oral health and how you can prevent it.

About An Abscess

Your oral health can become jeopardized when an abscess occurs. This is a pus pocket that develops on the tip of your tooth’s root (which is the lowermost part of your tooth). When an infection forms in your tooth, it will get worse and worse. Eventually, if left untreated, the pressure will mount until the abscess appears. It can lead to severe discomfort including inflammation, pain, throbbing, and an unpleasant taste. If it ruptures, infection can spread as far as your bloodstream, so avoiding this concern is essential.

How Did This Happen?

All it takes for an infection to occur is for bacteria to make their way into your tooth. In general, they sneak in through a cracked tooth, a poorly fitting crown or other restoration, or a cavity. Once they make their way to your dental pulp (the soft tissue lining the inside of your tooth and root canals), infection begins to occur. You might not feel it! So, if you’re not coming in to see us every six months, we won’t be able to detect it on your behalf. This provides the time for an abscess to form.

What Should I Do?

If this happens to you, contact us immediately. To protect your oral health, follow prevention to a tee. Your checkups give you ample opportunity to address cracks, decay, and even existing infection before they become severe.