When a tooth is hurting you and you know something’s wrong, it’s natural to try to wait out the pain. Unfortunately, serious tooth pain doesn’t go away on its own and indicates that there is a deeper problem. The question is, do you have a tooth infection, or a tooth abscess, or is something else going on?
A Tooth Infection Can Become a Tooth Abscess
A tooth abscess and a tooth infection sound alike, but they are different. The causes of both problems, however, are similar. Tooth decay or trauma to the tooth can create a dead nerve. While it might seem that a dead nerve couldn’t cause any pain, the problem is that this area, if left untreated, becomes a catchall for bacteria, making an infection more likely.
While your body may be able to fight off some infections, this isn’t the case with teeth. If the nerve of a tooth is damaged or compromised, the nerve will die. Once an infection establishes itself, it can spread quickly and become a tooth abscess.
Treating a Tooth Infection
Root canal therapy is often the go-to treatment for a tooth infection. This procedure removes the infection from your tooth’s nerve and involves cleaning the canals of your tooth. To complete the work, the canals are sealed and a porcelain tooth crown usually caps the tooth for extra safety and to prevent additional infections from developing.
No dental patient jumps for joy at the thought of root canal therapy, but this procedure does allow you to keep your natural tooth and avoid extraction. Should the tooth ultimately need to be pulled, it can be replaced with a permanent dental implant and a prosthetic tooth. Both the crown and the implant are strong, plus they look natural so your smile isn’t compromised.
Understanding a Tooth Abscess
If a tooth infection is not addressed as soon as possible, bacteria will continue to accumulate. The problem will spread until it is located between the tooth in question and the jawbone. This is the start of a tooth abscess. At this point, your body will try to use its antibodies to fight the infection, and it may be able to stave off the complication for a short time. That solution won’t last.
Your body will not be able to heal the source of the infection at the dead root of the tooth where there is no blood flow. An infection that has spread to the jawbone is the beginning of a tooth abscess and it creates a swollen area that is painful and tender to the touch. The abscess may look like there is a bump in your gums around your tooth and the pain, for some, will be intense. To treat this gum infection, you need a Johns Creek dentist.
Getting Treatment in Johns Creek for a Tooth Infection or Tooth Abscess
If you have tooth pain, don’t wait to see if the pain goes away. Waiting to get treatment can create bigger complications that require larger restorative dentistry interventions. It’s always a good idea to have your Johns Creek dentist examine the tooth in question so it can be determined early what sort of treatment will be needed to stop the pain and restore your tooth to good health.
If you have a tooth infection, tooth abscess, or gum infection, you need a Johns Creek dentist like Dr. Mitul Patel or his colleagues to treat it. Contact Hello Family Dental to schedule your appointment.
