A painful tooth could mean you have a gum abscess. Know the symptoms to look out for to determine if you have an abscess and what to do about it.
October 24, 2014
A painful tooth could mean you have a gum abscess. Know the symptoms to look out for to determine if you have an abscess and what to do about it.
A gum abscess, also called a dental abscess, is the body's way of reacting to a gum infection. The body forms a pus pocket around the invasive bacteria that is causing the infection. The pus that forms contains white blood cells that fight the bacteria. A pus-filled gum abscess is usually quite painful.
There are two types of gum abscesses: periapical and periodontal.
Periapical abscess: A decaying tooth forms an abscess in the heart of the tooth's dental pulp. The dental decay causes bacteria to enter the tooth's pulp and cause an infection. The abscess will spread from the pulp of the tooth into the gum. Often the tooth's nerve will die, which usually causes an even larger abscess at the base of the tooth and in the gum surrounding the decayed tooth.
Periodontal abscess: A periodontal abscess develops in the gum and in the supporting tissue structure around the tooth. It forms as a direct result of advanced periodontal gum disease. In advanced gum disease, the gum starts to detach and retract from the tooth's surface. Pockets start to occur between the gum and the tooth. The pockets are a perfect place for bacteria to invade and multiply. To fight the invading bacteria, the body sends white blood cells to the location, and a gum abscess forms.
If you're suffering from any of these symptoms and think you might have an abscess, get in touch with your doctor to check it out.
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