A tooth abscess is a serious dental infection that needs immediate care. It is a pocket of pus caused by bacteria that has invaded the innermost part of your tooth or the surrounding gum. This infection won’t go away on its own and can damage your jawbone and affect your overall health.
At Coastal General Dentistry in Virginia Beach, we provide urgent and compassionate care for dental abscesses. The most effective way to save your natural tooth and stop the infection is often root canal therapy.
Signs of a Dental Abscess
A tooth abscess is a clear signal from your body that something is wrong. The pain is often severe and persistent, but other signs can also appear. If you have any of the following, you need to contact us immediately:
- Severe, throbbing toothache that can radiate to your jawbone, neck, or ear.
- Intense pain when chewing or applying any pressure to the tooth.
- A pimple-like bump on the gums near the painful tooth (this is a draining fistula).
- Sudden rush of foul-tasting fluid in your mouth if the bump ruptures.
- Swelling in your face, cheek, or under your jaw.
- Red, swollen, or shiny gums around a specific tooth.
- Tooth sensitivity that lingers long after exposure to hot or cold.
- Fever and a general feeling of being unwell.
Please note: If you have significant facial swelling, fever, or trouble breathing or swallowing, this is a medical emergency. Go to the nearest emergency room immediately.
For less severe but urgent symptoms, call our Virginia Beach office right away. We prioritize emergency dentistry cases to get you out of pain and stop the infection from spreading.
How We Treat a Tooth Abscess in Virginia Beach, VA
Treating an abscess focuses on three goals: draining the infection, removing the source of the bacteria, and saving your tooth whenever possible. Your treatment begins with a gentle exam and digital X-rays. Dr. Sinclair or Dr. Reichley will identify the abscess’s location and decide if the tooth can be saved.
Saving Your Tooth with Root Canal Therapy
A root canal is not a cause for pain. It’s the treatment that relieves the intense pain of an abscess. It is the best way to save your natural tooth and fix the problem for good.
Here’s how this comfortable procedure works:
- Comfort & Access: We will numb the area completely so you feel no pain. Then, we create a small opening in the top of your tooth.
- Removing the Infection: We carefully remove the infected or dead pulp. This is the source of the bacteria causing your abscess.
- Cleaning & Shaping: The tiny canals inside your tooth’s roots are meticulously cleaned, disinfected, and shaped.
- Filling & Sealing: The now-empty and clean space is filled with a biocompatible material and sealed tightly to prevent new infection.
- Restoration: Finally, the tooth is sealed with a dental filling. Because the tooth is often weakened, we almost always recommend protecting it with a dental crown. This crown acts like a hard helmet, restoring your tooth’s strength for normal chewing.
By removing the infected tissue and sealing the tooth, a root canal eliminates the abscess at its source. The pain is gone, the infection heals, and you get to keep your tooth.
Other Necessary Treatments
Sometimes, a tooth is too damaged to save, or the infection is very severe. In these cases, we will recommend a tooth extraction to remove the source of the infection and protect your overall health. We perform extractions with the same commitment to your comfort, using numbing and sedation dentistry options if needed. After you heal, we will discuss tooth replacement options like a dental implant or bridge.
To help your body fight the infection, we may also prescribe antibiotics. It’s important to know that antibiotics alone can’t cure a tooth abscess. They help control the spread but don’t remove the infected tissue inside the tooth. Definitive treatment with a root canal or tooth extraction is always necessary.
Patient Review
Tooth Abscess FAQs
What causes a tooth abscess?
An abscess is caused by bacteria that get inside your tooth. This usually happens through:
- A deep, untreated cavity.
- A crack or chip in a tooth.
- An injury to a tooth.
- Severe gum disease (periodontal abscess).
Is a root canal painful?
With modern techniques and anesthesia, a root canal is no more uncomfortable than getting a standard filling. The procedure itself relieves the severe pain of the abscess. Most patients are pleasantly surprised by how comfortable it is.
Can an abscess go away on its own or with antibiotics?
No. An abscess won’t heal without professional treatment. Antibiotics can help reduce swelling and contain the infection temporarily. However, they can’t reach and clean out the dead tissue inside the tooth. The infection will always come back until the source is removed via root canal or extraction.
What happens if I ignore a tooth abscess?
Ignoring an abscess is dangerous. The infection can spread to your jawbone, other teeth, and into your soft tissues of the face and neck (a condition called cellulitis). In very rare cases, it can enter your bloodstream (sepsis), which is life-threatening. Prompt treatment is essential for your health.
How can I manage the pain before my appointment?
You can take over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen as directed on the label. Applying a cold compress to the outside of your cheek for 15-minute intervals can also help reduce swelling and pain. Avoid placing heat on the area.
Will I need a crown after a root canal?
Almost always, yes. A tooth that needs a root canal is often already weakened by decay or trauma. The root canal procedure itself also removes the tooth’s internal structure. A crown is necessary to cover and protect the tooth, preventing it from cracking under normal chewing forces.
Get Immediate Care for a Tooth Abscess
A tooth abscess is a dental emergency. Don’t wait in pain or hope it will get better. Contact Coastal General Dentistry in Virginia Beach immediately at 757-216-9914 for urgent and pain-relieving care.
We are here to save your tooth, protect your health, and get you back to feeling your best!