Dental Abscess Symptoms and Causes
An abscess is a chamber filled with pus and surrounded by tissue. Abscesses can occur virtually throughout our body, e.g., in the liver, lungs, brain, tongue and teeth. The purulent content in the chamber consists of dead tissue, bacterial cells and cells of the immune system. A tooth abscess occurs as a result of an acute inflammatory process of the periapical tissues of the tooth. Depending on the severity of disease symptoms, there are three types of dental abscesses:
- Periapical abscess is the first phase of the disease in which inflammation is limited to the periapical tissues. The patient experiences strong, throbbing pain, which intensifies when lying down, due to changes in temperature and when biting. The pain may radiate to the ear, jaw or neck. Sometimes swelling and redness of the gums occur. A typical symptom of a periapical abscess is the feeling of the tooth being dislodged from the socket.
- Subperiosteal abscess is the most acute phase of inflammation. Purulent exudate penetrates the alveolar bone and causes detachment of the periosteum. The patient experiences much stronger pain, which also radiates to other teeth. The gum is very red and often swollen. This phase is usually accompanied by a slightly increased body temperature.
- Submucosal abscess is the last stage of abscess development. It occurs when purulent exudate breaks through the alveolar bone and periosteum under the mucosa. There is often a spontaneous release of purulent secretions into the oral cavity, which is accompanied by an unpleasant odor and taste in the mouth. In this phase, the patient experiences immediate pain relief, but the gum swelling increases. The fever still persists. The rupture of an abscess does not mean that we have recovered, the inflammatory process is still occurring and can spread.
Symptoms accompanying this ailment also include tooth sensitivity, swollen lymph nodes in the neck and under the jaw, chills, and redness and swelling of the face. Dental abscesses may develop in the vestibule of the mouth, on the palate or on the lingual side.
Dental abscesses occur mainly as a result of untreated caries and periodontitis. When caries penetrates deep into the dentin, bacteria enter the pulp in increasing numbers, where they can easily develop, producing toxins. The pulp infection spreads first to the root canals and then to the periapical tissues of the tooth, causing acute, purulent inflammation of these tissues, resulting in tooth abscess.
Leaks between the filling and the tooth wall, through which microorganisms can penetrate deep into the tooth, may also cause the development of abscess. Pulp infections resulting in the development of a tooth abscess may also occur as a result of exposure of the pulp during the preparation of a carious defect or a fracture of the tooth crown. It happens that abscesses are a complication of endodontic treatment. Various mechanical or chemical injuries may also result in purulent inflammation. Purulent inflammation of periapical tissues most often develops as a result of infection with bacteria that can be of many types, which is why it is important to get to the dentist if you suspect an abscess.
Before an abscess reaches the point where extraction is necessary, set an appointment with your dentist.