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What are the symptoms of a dental abscess?

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Tooth Disorders

Cavities

Dental Abscess

Pulpitis

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Mesothelioma is cancer of the membrane that surrounds the chest wall (pleura) or abdomen. In the United States, which of the following is the only known cause of mesothelioma?

Asbestos exposure
Exposure to cigarette smoke
Exposure to formaldehyde (a chemical found in some building materials)
Genetic inheritance

Dental Abscess

(Tooth Abscess)

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Last full review/revision Apr 2020| Content last modified Apr 2020

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Tooth

An abscess is a collection of pus. Pus is a mix of white blood cells, dead tissue, and bacteria. It builds up wherever your body is fighting an infection.

A dental abscess is an abscess that forms around the root of your tooth. A severe abscess can spread into your gums, cheeks, or jawbone.

A dental abscess is caused by bacteria that get in the pulp of your tooth or in the gums surrounding the tooth. The pulp can become infected when you have a deep cavity Cavities The hard outer surface on your teeth is called the enamel. The pulp is deep inside the tooth and contains blood vessels and nerves. Bacteria can damage different parts of the tooth. Cavities... read more or a cracked tooth.

Your body attacks the infection with large numbers of white blood cells. The dead white blood cells become the pus that forms the abscess.

Tooth

A dental abscess causes:

Constant tooth pain that gets worse when you chew food
Sensitivity to hot or cold food
Swelling of your gums
Sometimes, fever
Sometimes, swelling of your jaw, the floor of your mouth, or cheeks
Sometimes, difficulty opening your mouth or swallowing

Eventually the abscess can break open, letting the pus drain.

Dentists give you pain medicine and antibiotics and treat the abscess by:

Draining the pus with surgery or a root canal

Root canal is a dental procedure to remove the pulp from your tooth. The dentist then fills and seals the tooth canal.

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Cavities

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Tooth Disorders

Periapical Abscess

Epidural Abscess in the Spine

Cavities

Mesothelioma is cancer of the membrane that surrounds the chest wall (pleura) or abdomen. In the United States, which of the following is the only known cause of mesothelioma?

Asbestos exposure
Exposure to cigarette smoke
Exposure to formaldehyde (a chemical found in some building materials)
Genetic inheritance

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What is a dental abscess?

What causes a dental abscess?