A tooth abscess, also known as an abscessed tooth, is on par with root canals as topics that everyone should be knowledgeable with in order to know what to do in the event of an abscess and how to prevent one in the first place.
Anyone who has ever experienced the agony of an abscess on their tooth will tell you that they would have done everything to prevent it. Let’s examine the causes of tooth abscesses in this first piece, as well as preventative measures you may take.
An abscessed tooth: what is it?
Simply said, an abscess is a “pocket” of pus from a mouth infection. Have you ever experienced an infected splinter in your foot or finger? Remember the pus that gathered around the splinter? Your immune system stepped in to combat the virus. A accumulation of pus that the immune system has produced as a defense against infection is, in essence, what an abscess is.
There are two primary kinds of oral abscesses. Advanced gum disease, commonly known as periodontal disease, is directly linked to a periodontal abscess, which starts in the gum pocket. The tip of a tooth’s root is where a periapical abscess is found. These two primary categories of abscess will be referred to as tooth abscess or gum abscess.
Common abscess symptoms
Depending on the kind of abscess you’re dealing with, the signs and symptoms might differ significantly. The primary indicator of a tooth abscess is a severe, ongoing pain, but gum abscesses aren’t always unpleasant.An abscess is found near the tooth’s root tip. These two primary categories of abscess will be referred to as tooth abscess or gum abscess.
Why do abscesses occur?
Except for a few uncommon cases, all abscesses are caused by a persistent infection.
Gum disease is the source of the abscess if the infection starts in the gum pocket.
An infection from within the tooth or the area around the tooth is the cause of the abscess if it is found near the tip of the tooth’s root.
The immune system is battling an infection in both situations. These infections are persistent, though, in contrast to the splinter example above.
Gum disease, which is caused by an imbalance of disease-causing bacteria that have colonized beneath the gum line, is the cause of gum (periodontal) abscesses.
The main cause of tooth (periapical) abscesses is when a tooth decays to the point that the pulp gets infected. They may also result from a poorly performed root canal. In both situations, the abscess is the “sign” of problems, the tooth’s health is seriously weakened, and a significant struggle is underway.
(Incidentally, the x-ray in the picture on this site shows an abscess on the root of a tooth that has already had root canal therapy. The root chamber of a healthy tooth is darker than the dentin and bone enamel, as shown in the picture of the neighboring teeth.Nevertheless, the root chamber of this root canal tooth is dazzling white, demonstrating how the root was removed and replaced with a substance that appears white on the x-ray.)
How can I tell what kind of abscess I have?
The site where the abscess attempts to drain the pus will give you a clear indication of whether you are dealing with a tooth-based abscess or one caused by gum disease, even if this may be a little gruesome for some.
You see, bringing a large number of white blood cells to the infection site is one way our immune systems respond to an illness. The white blood cells die and gather at the infection site after doing all they can. This collection of dead white blood cells is referred to as pus.
When the pressure inside the abscess increases, it looks for a means to release it. Knowing where the abscess “vents” might help you identify the kind of abscess you have.
A periodontal abscess and periodontal disease are unquestionably indicated if the pus originates from inside the gum pocket.
However, it is a clear indication of a dental abscess if the pus develops a boil on the side of the gum tissue and bursts into the mouth (I know, it’s ugly, but crucial). Please be aware that both the periodontal pocket and the tooth root may get infected and develop an abscess as a result.
An abscess, which is characterized by intense pain in a specific area of the mouth, can occasionally occur in a person without any “external” symptoms, such as pus coming out of the infection site. These abscesses are especially troublesome since the pus bursts into internal tissues due to the abscess’s growing pressure having nowhere “outside” to go.
Why abscesses should not be disregarded
It’s a persistent infection. If I may sound a little hyperbolic, persistent infections are the “stuff” that kills living things. An abscess’s excruciating pain serves as a warning to pay attention to this location. We’re having problems over here.
In addition to causing tooth loss and destroying the jaw bone that holds teeth in the mouth, an abscess resulting from gum disease can also serve as a persistent reservoir of “thug bugs,” which negatively impacts a person’s overall health if it is not addressed.
Untreated dental abscesses will cause the infection to grow and spread throughout the surrounding area, damaging any nearby tissue—bone, muscle, etc.—as it looks for a way to relieve the mounting pressure. The abscess may potentially immediately result in blindness, facial paralysis, and yes, even death, depending on where it is.
Even while these mostly localized problems are significant, new study unequivocally identifies persistent mouth infections as a primary cause of systemic inflammation. The root cause of diabetes, arthritis, cancer, heart disease, and many other “big hitters” in our global society is systemic inflammation.
One of those circumstances where seeing your helpful dentist would be a very smart move is an abscess.
How to prevent abscesses in the future
Although there is too much to discuss in a single essay on preventing abscesses, let’s get you on the right track right now.
We advise using a “two prong” approach to any oral health concern.
On the one hand, this problem has to be addressed “at the site” of the infection. On the other side, we need to boost our “whole system” immune response if we wish to permanently reduce the chance of an abscess.
After all, we cannot expect our immune system to successfully prevent chronic infections until we improve the overall health of our system.
To illustrate the need of system-wide immune support, let’s take the example of a municipal fire department. When a building in a city catches fire, the fire service responds quickly and uses all of their firefighting resources to extinguish the flames. We want our immune system to operate in this manner.
But what if there are 10, 50, or 100 fires raging throughout the city at once? Surely the fire department is unable to attend to every emergency? Simply put, they lack the resources necessary to adequately treat every fire.
They therefore decide which fires may be left to burn and which are more urgent to put out.
The fire service also has the option of distributing its personnel around and attempting to prevent all of the flames from growing larger. However, because they are dispersed too far, they are ill-equipped to create a robust enough defense to extinguish any of the flames. Thus, they all smolder and burn gradually.
This concept is similar to what occurs in our bodies on a daily basis. We will simply overstretch our immune systems and allow some fires (infections) to continue burning unchecked if we don’t take the proper steps to foster higher whole-being immunity.
Instantaneous solutions
All right, enough theory. Let’s look at several high-impact, low-cost steps you may do to significantly improve your dental health.
1. Pulling oil
Because oil pulling supports both the “in the mouth” demands and the “system-wide” immune function, it is incredibly beneficial for resolving oral health issues. Regular oil pulling is a fantastic adjuvant therapy to help develop stronger dental health, yet it is debatable if it can heal an abscess on its own. We prefer to use coconut oil because to its taste and antibacterial qualities, even if sesame oil is the conventional choice.
For those who are unfamiliar with oil pulling, this article provides information on how to do it and the advantages it has for our dental and overall health.
2. Deal directly with the oral illness.
An oral infection can be eradicated in a number of ways. You can instantly and dramatically lessen the infection if it’s a periodontal abscess. To learn more about how you may rapidly improve your dental health, check out our HealThy Mouth System.
It’s remarkable how fast the body recovers from the imbalance of hooligan microorganisms in the mouth when natural antimicrobials and targeted techniques are used (yes, even from severe gum disease).
Swishing aggressively with salt water for a few minutes is an additional choice. While the salt fights the infection, vigorous swishing, similar to oil pulling, will stimulate the local immune system. All you need to do is dissolve salt in water to create a potent, low-cost home treatment that promotes recovery.
3. Encourage the immune system’s reaction
The good news is that you can immediately make a significant improvement by acting positively right away. Consume foods that promote better dental health. Eat fewer or no foods that are bad for your teeth. Don’t forget to play and have fun. Simple actions like increasing your vitamin C intake might be beneficial.
Your “fire department” will have more resources to build a more robust and effective immunological response if you take any of these actions.
How to prevent tooth abscesses and what causes them: https://orawellness.com/