Extracting Abscessed Tooth
A tooth abscess is a pocket of infection near and around the root of a tooth, causing painful and unpleasant symptoms. Most dental abscesses form because of infection inside a tooth that is damaged in some way, either due to extensive tooth decay or a broken or fractured tooth. If this infection is allowed to remain untreated, it can spread, posing significant health risks that could cause permanent damage to the oral health and even to the overall health. The primary goal of treating a dental abscess is to remove infection from the oral cavity and prevent it from returning, and there are different approaches to achieving this goal. In some cases, a dentist can drain the abscess through a small incision in the oral tissues, and some abscesses indicate infection that requires a root canal treatment, followed by the placement of a dental crown. The dental crown restores the appearance of the tooth, and it also allows the dentist to save the tooth, protecting it from additional damage and bacterial invasion. When a dental abscess is more advanced, it may be necessary to extract the tooth. This happens because the damage to the tooth is too extensive, and because the surrounding bone and supportive tissues have been compromised by infection.
Once the abscessed tooth has been extracted, the abscess will begin to heal as your body recognizes that the source of infection has been removed, and the pocket of pus will gradually be wiped out by your immune system. Larger, more significant abscesses could take several weeks to heal following extraction, while more minor abscesses may only take a few days. As the extraction site heals, it’s imperative to follow your oral surgeon’s instructions for aftercare. You’ll learn how to change the gauze packing the extraction site, how to treat the area to expedite healing, and how to keep the extraction site and your entire oral cavity clean. If your dentist prescribes oral antibiotics, which may be recommended for more severe abscesses, make sure to complete the entire course of medication to ensure that any residual infection is eliminated.
In some rare cases, the nerves around the surgical site could sustain damage during treatment, causing a tingling feeling or numbness in the mouth or face that could be temporary or permanent. The other risks associated with abscessed tooth extraction are largely associated with improper aftercare. If you accidentally dislodge or disturb the blood clot before the surgical site has fully healed, you’ll end up with a painful dry socket. Dry sockets delay healing and are intensely painful, and they can be avoided by refraining from deep, sucking motions like smoking or drinking through a straw, and by using care when changing your gauze. It’s also possible for an abscess to recur after extraction, if the infection hasn’t been fully eliminated, though this is relatively rare. Minor swelling and a bit of pain should be expected for a few days following an extraction, but if you notice a recurrence of pain or swelling, or if anything else feels off, call your dentist right away. Treatment may be as simple as a round of antibiotics or may require additional procedures, though in a majority of cases, extracting the tooth is sufficient and no additional treatments are needed.