If you have ever had a tooth abscess you will know that it is not a pleasant experience at all.

If you have an abscess and cannot see a dentist, you should find a doctor even if this means going to the hospital. An abscess can only be attacked and treated once you have been given antibiotics to stop the blood from becoming poisoned and to reduce the swelling.

The signs and symptoms of an abscess are-

-The tooth may be tender to the touch and

-It may hurt when there is a sudden change in temperature

-You may get a fever

-If  your face starts to swell you should seek immediate action, as the condition can become life threatening in some cases.

Once the abscess has gone, your dentist can get to work on you. One of the biggest causes of this condition is tooth decay, so there is a good chance you will need a root canal and then have your gums cleaned, as well as your tooth deep below the gum-line.

The problem with an abscess is they flare up again at anytime, which means the only way to stop this from happening is to have the tooth removed. Of course prevention is better than cure and if you have had a problem with an abscess, it means that you are not looking after your teeth well enough and so should concentrate on your oral hygeine routine.

If you’ve not been looking after yourself or your teeth lately, you could be leaving yourself open to problems such as plaque and gum disease and the odd, small tooth cavity. Ok, these can be rectified quite quickly and easily if they are caught early. But if the problem is allowed spiral out of control, dental caries could form and get deep into the tooth, leaving you with no option but to have root canal treatment to save the tooth. You may have heard some bad stories concering Root canals  in the past with some very bad stigma attached to the treatment. In some respects, some of the tales of the pain you suffer when having a procedure such as this are true. But dental technology has come avery long way since root canals were first introduced and for most people, it’s really no worse than having say, a filling. On paper though, it’s not pretty reading and just ‘sounds’ positively dreadful. Once a tooth is infected and in order to save it, a dentist must first clear away the decay and rotting pulp inside the tooth. This then enables access to the roots which then are also removed by drilling or laser treatment. In some cases, the root can be difficult to get to, so the dentist must come in through the gum in order to gain access- told you it sounds ugly. But it really isn’t that painful as it sounds. With a local anaesthetic, you should feel no pain at all. Once the tooth is clear of decay, it is then filled or a crown is fitted to restore some strength.