Dental Abscess Symptoms: When to See an Emergency Dentist in Tucson
A dental abscess is an infection. That might sound simple, but infections in your mouth can become serious fast. The abscess itself is a pocket of pus that forms either at the tip of a tooth root (periapical abscess) or in the gum tissue alongside a tooth (periodontal abscess). Both types cause pain, swelling, and can spread to other parts of your body if left untreated.
The most common symptoms of a dental abscess include throbbing pain that does not respond to over-the-counter painkillers, swelling in the face or cheek that keeps getting worse, a small bump on the gum near the affected tooth (sometimes called a gum boil), a bad taste in your mouth from the draining pus, sensitivity to hot and cold that lingers, pain that radiates to your ear or jaw, and fever.
If you notice a few of these symptoms together, you likely have an abscess. And here is the part that catches people off guard: a dental abscess will not go away on its own. The infection can seem to improve for a day or two, especially if the abscess starts draining on its own, but it will come back. And each time it comes back, it can be worse.
When should you see an emergency dentist? Right away if you have facial swelling. Swelling means the infection has spread beyond the tooth into the surrounding tissues. If the swelling is near your eye, under your jaw, or extending down your neck, go to an emergency room first, then follow up with a dentist. These are signs that the infection could compromise your airway or spread to your brain.
For most dental abscesses (pain, gum bump, bad taste, moderate swelling limited to the gum area), an emergency dentist visit is the right call. Dr. Torres will take X-rays to identify the source of the infection and determine whether the tooth can be saved.
Treatment for a dental abscess usually involves one of two approaches. If the tooth can be saved, a root canal removes the infected nerve tissue, drains the abscess, and seals the tooth. If the tooth is too damaged or the infection is too severe, extraction is the better option. In both cases, antibiotics may be prescribed to help clear the remaining infection.
The cost of abscess treatment in Tucson depends on the approach. An exam and X-rays run $75 to $200. A root canal costs $500 to $1,000. An extraction runs $150 to $500. We discuss all costs before starting treatment, and we accept most insurance plans.
One of the biggest mistakes we see is patients who take antibiotics from an urgent care clinic or ER and then think the problem is solved. Antibiotics reduce the infection temporarily, but they do not fix the source. The infected or dead nerve tissue inside the tooth is still there, and the infection will return once the antibiotics run out.
If you think you have a dental abscess in Tucson, call 520-317-6362. We have same-day appointments available Monday through Saturday. The sooner you treat an abscess, the simpler and less expensive the treatment usually is.