TOOTH decay is the most common bacterial infection in the developed world. Most people have or know someone who has suffered with the extreme pain and typical swollen face that a tooth abscess can cause. So abscesses are debilitating but what exactly is going on and how can they be prevented?
A dental abscess is an infection caused mainly by tooth decay, gum disease or a cracked tooth. Inside the tooth there is a tube which contains tiny blood vessels and nerves. If the decay, gum disease or a crack reaches the tooth nerves then the bacteria cause them to breakdown and die. The abscess is a pus-filled balloon that’s attached to the root surface and contains white blood cells, dead tissue and germs (bacteria).
Inside the pus balloon the bacteria continue to make pus, the balloon gets bigger and presses on the surrounding bone. It’s the trapped pressure inside the bone that causes so much pain. Eventually the pus will break through the outer wall of the jaw bone, releasing the pressure and then the pain subsides. Sometimes you see a spongy bubble on your gum, this is the abscess breaking through. If the abscess is not treated, it can lead to a serious infection in the jaw bone, teeth and surrounding tissues.
An abscess can be treated in various ways. The general idea is to remove the cause of the infection and render the mouth clean. This may be done by carrying out a root canal filling (which cleans the tube inside the tooth and fills it up with hard rubber), removing the tooth or cleaning the outside of the tooth root. Antibiotics are a short-term solution to an abscess as they don't treat the cause of the infection.
However, most dental abscesses are preventable, as most are a complication of tooth decay or gum disease – both of which can be prevented by effectively cleaning your teeth and a tooth-friendly diet that’s low in sugar. Toothbrushing alone is not enough – you need to clean in between your teeth with floss, woodsticks or teepees every day.
Smokers suffer more from gum disease abscesses so stopping smoking instantly helps reduce your chances of getting an abscess. Your dental check-ups are an opportunity to spot any underlying problems especially as, surprisingly, some chronic abscesses give no pain.
