An abscessed tooth is a dental condition in which the nerve, also called dental pulp, has become infected. The infection usually occurs when a dental cavity goes untreated and the bacterium spreads within the tooth and into the surrounding bone. Left untreated, an abscess can progress to a serious, bacterial infection in the head and neck.
SIGNS YOUR CHILD MAY HAVE AN ABSCESS
• Continuous sharp or throbbing pain
• Pain when chewing
• Red, swollen gums
• Swollen neck or jaw
• Fever
TREATMENT OE AN ABSCESS
If an abscess occurs in one of your child’s primary teeth, it will need to be extracted. Depending on the location of the extraction, a space maintainer may be necessary until the permanent tooth emerges. Dr Katie will place a space maintainer to prevent the surrounding teeth from drifting into the open space.
If your child’s permanent tooth has an abscess, the treatment options consist of root canal therapy to clean and remove the infection, or tooth extraction. These services are not provided in our office (on permanent teeth) but we are happy to refer your child to the appropriate specialist.
Sometimes, Dr Katie will prescribe an antibiotic to help prevent the infection from spreading into the bone and soft tissue.