When you have a toothache, you don’t care why it hurts – you just want it to STOP. Many toothaches are caused by an abscessed tooth, which is a pocket of pus (infection) located near your tooth. Visiting an endodontist can not only help end the pain, it can also help you strategize to maintain your long-term dental health.
Tooth Abscess Causes And Symptoms
A tooth abscess happens when the nerve-rich pulp inside your tooth becomes infected. Such an infection can have many causes, including:
- A cracked or chipped tooth
- Severe, untreated tooth decay
- Gum disease spread to the tooth roots
- A dental injury exposing the nerve pulp to bacteria
Once a dental infection, regardless of cause, progresses to an abscess, your symptoms may include:
- An open, draining sore on your gums, or a “boil” near your tooth
- Swollen, red gums
- Bad breath
- Gnawing or throbbing pain
- Pain that radiates into your neck, jawbone, or ear
- Bitter taste in your mouth
- Fever and a general feeling of illness
An endodontist will use X-rays or other imaging tools like Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) to evaluate your teeth and see whether the tooth abscess is located at your tooth’s root, near the bones and ligaments supporting your tooth, or in the gums around your tooth.
Treating A Tooth Abscess The Endodontic Way
The most common treatment to save an abscessed tooth is a root canal. At the Phoenix Endodontic Group, we use the leading-edge GentleWave treatment system to thoroughly clean and remove infected tooth pulp. An endodontist fills the tooth roots with gutta-percha or another biocompatible substance. Later, a general dentist will add a crown to provide permanent structural support to the tooth.
Call Us About Your Tooth Abscess ASAP
If you’re worried your toothache may be due to an abscessed tooth, call the Phoenix Endodontic Group at 602-242-4745 to arrange an appointment. Infected teeth can pose a serious risk to your health. We offer 24/7 emergency care, so if you’re in pain, call right away!