Symptoms of Abscessed Teeth
One of the most painful things anyone will ever experience in their life is an abscessed tooth. This isn't like a regular toothache, which often goes away in a few hours. Unless it is treated by a dentist, the pain from an abscessed tooth can go on for days or even weeks. Until treated, the infection will never completely go away. The pain may ease off, but the infection is still there, just waiting to flare back up again. If you have a toothache and are not sure if it is an abscess, here are some signs to look for. At the first sign of an abscessed tooth, it is important that you contact your dentist and have it treated. When left untreated, not only does it get worse, it could lead to eventual tooth loss.
Discolouration
When a tooth has an abscess, the tooth will be noticeably darker in colour than a healthy tooth. There are by-products of the pulp of the tooth that seep into the porous part of the tooth, and this leads to the tooth being discoloured. The gum around the tooth will also be quite red instead of the normal, healthy pink colour.
Swelling
One of the most noticeable symptoms of an abscessed tooth is swelling. Not only will the gum around the tooth become swollen, if the infection is serious enough, you could end up with swelling in your face. Unless you take prescribed antibiotics to get rid of the infection, the swelling is likely to remain. You may also notice a swollen lump on the gum near the tooth that looks like a pimple, which is referred to as a draining fistula. As this pimple swells, it will get to a point where it bursts so the infection can drain. Make sure to spit the pus out, as it is poison, and swallowing it can make you extremely nauseous.
Pain
Pain is another symptom associated with an abscessed tooth. In fact, the pain can be so severe that you will be unable to move or even think about doing anything. Even taking a few steps will cause the pain to become worse, because the pain throbs and pulsates, and any movement will make it that much worse. In some cases, the pain is so severe that even pain killers won't do much to help you get rid of it, because when the pain gets this bad, it usually means that the infection is spreading.
For more information, contact Elphin Dental.
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