Infection or Abcess

infection or abcess illustrationAn infection or abscess in your tooth is caused by bacteria that have accumulated in the pulp, gum tissue, or bone supporting the tooth. If left untreated, the bacterial infection can spread into your bloodstream causing other painful issues, even some that are life threatening.

Call our office immediately for a work-in appointment if you experience any type of swelling in your jaw, throbbing pain that keeps you awake at night or refuses to subside, or severe pain in an area of your mouth. These are all signs of a dental abscess or infection.

Our first priority is to reduce the infection with antibiotics and alleviate the pain. If your symptoms occur outside of office hours or you’re unable to come into our office, do the following.

  • Call our office for an antibiotic prescription, which you will need to start taking immediately.
  • For pain, follow our OTC Pain Management Protocol.
  • Do not apply a painkiller to your gum—it can burn the tissue.