Two possible reasons why you keep developing dental abscesses
Dental abscesses (i.e. infections which lead to the formation of bacteria-laden sacs of pus in the mouth) are not only painful and distressing but can also be highly dangerous if they are not treated quickly enough. Furthermore, the treatment that a dentist carries out to resolve this condition can be both uncomfortable and costly.
If you keep developing abscesses, here are two possible reasons why you might be unusually susceptible to this dental health problem.
You have undiagnosed diabetes
If you have undiagnosed (and therefore, unmanaged) diabetes, then you may be more prone to developing dental abscesses.
The reason for this is as follows; uncontrolled diabetes can damage your blood vessels, and in doing so, can reduce the amount of blood that can pass through the damaged vessels.
This reduction in blood flow can, in turn, affect the speed with which wounds on your body (including those in your mouth) heal, as blood helps to deliver healing nutrients and oxygen to wounded areas.
This is an important point to note, as the longer a wound in your mouth remains open and unhealed, the more likely it is to become infected.
As such, if you have undiagnosed diabetes and you lacerate your gums, a dental abscess will be far more likely to develop in this cut than if you did not have this condition.
Given this, if you have suffered from multiple abscesses in the last few months and you have other reasons to suspect that you might have diabetes (for example, if you have a family history of this disease or if you are experiencing other symptoms, such as needing to urinate frequently, feeling excessively thirsty, etc.) then it might be worth asking your doctor to test for this condition.
If you do end up being diagnosed with diabetes, taking the medication your doctor prescribes and adjusting your diet should help to prevent spikes in your blood glucose, which should, in turn, make you less prone to dental abscesses.
Your diet is too high in sugar
Another possible reason why you keep developing abscesses is that your diet is too high in sugar.
Sugar is the main type of food that plaque bacteria eat. After consuming the sugar left behind on your teeth after you eat things like ice-cream or fizzy drinks, the plaque bacteria will excrete large quantities of acid.
This acid will, over time, erode the protective top layer that encases each of your teeth (known as the enamel), as well as the dentin that sits underneath this layer.
As this decaying process continues, the root canal system of your teeth will eventually become exposed. When bacteria in your mouth enter this system, an abscess could then form in this part of the tooth. When this happens, your dentist will have to carry out root canal therapy to remove the abscess.
In short, if you're frustrated by the frequency with which you develop abscesses, then you should try to drastically reduce the amount of sugar that you eat.
For more information and tips, contact a local dentist.
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