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What is
a tooth
abscess
A dental abscess (or abscessed tooth) is a painful infection characterized by a collection of pus
at the root of a tooth or at the area between the gums and a tooth.
Developing a dental abscess is a common dental condition. It may develop as a complication of tooth decay,
or from an infection in the gums.
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A dental abscess can cause serious health complications, if left untreated.
If you suspect that you might have an abscessed tooth, see your dentist right away.
A tooth abcess will not heal itself – it requires treatment.
How a tooth abcess is formed ?
An abscess is actually a result of the immune system’s effort to contain an infection and prevent it from spreading to other areas.
The body sends white blood cells to the area of the infection to fight the bacteria.
During this process pus forms, which is an accumulation of fluid, living and dead white blood cells, liquified dead tissue and live and dead bacteria.
If the pus is collected in a small, contained space with no way for pus to drain, it forms a pocket of infected liquid that is called an abscess.
In the mouth, abscesses form around the root tips of a tooth or in the gum tissue surrounding the teeth.
As pus is accumulated, the pressure increases and the abcessed tooth often becomes increasingly more painful.
Sometimes the tooth infection spreads even more causing a swollen face or forming a visible bump on the gum overlying the root (gumboil).
The swollen area can rupture, allowing the pus to drain in the mouth.
Once the abscess ruptures, the pain often decreases significantly, but the infection remains and dental treatment is still necessary.
As a tooth abcess develops, the infection can spread into the ligaments that secure the tooth to the jawbone and the jawbone itself.
The bacteria and the immune system’s response cause rapid destruction of connective tissues around the tooth and into the jawbone,
and bone loss may occur. This causes teeth to become loose and may lead to tooth loss.
You must know that some treatments are not always covered by dental insurance plans.
Learn how to check the terms and choose a dental insurance plan that will provide the best coverage for you and your family.
Types of dental abscesses
There are two main types of dental abscess based on the location where they form:
Periapical (root-tip) Abscess - located at the apex of an infected tooth.
A periapical abscess is what we usually call tooth abscess.
A periapical tooth abcess is a pocket of infection at the tip of a tooth's root, near the jawbone, as a result of an infection of dental pulp.
If this tooth root infection goes untreated (the diseased tissue in the pulp is not removed) pus can begin to build up in the root of the tooth forming an abscess.
The infection can spread to the bone surrounding the tip of the root.
Periodontal abscess- located in the periodontal ligament surrounding the tooth.
A periodontal abscess is what is usually called gum abscess. In this case, the infection comes from outside the tooth instead of from within.
A gum, or periodontal, abscess is usually caused by an infection in the pocket between the teeth and gums.
This may happen either when food particles get trapped between the gum and tooth or in cases of periodontal disease,
when bacteria build up in deep pockets under the surface of the gums.
A third, not so common, type is the pericoronal abscess, which is related in most cases with the wisdom teeth.
It is a kind of dental abscess that occurs when the flap of tissue covering a partially erupted tooth becomes inflamed and infected.
Related dental problems and treatments:
Causes of abscessed teeth & gums
Dental abscesses occur when the dental pulp (the living tissue in the centre of the tooth containing nerves and blood vessels) gets infected by bacteria. Bacteria can find their way to the pulp in many ways :
Tooth decay. A tooth abscess occurs when decay in a tooth has not received appropriate dental care and it erodes the enamel and dentine
until it finally reaches to the dental pulp.The acids released by the bacteria start to irritate the dental pulp tissue which becomes inflamed.
The inflammation begins to constrict the blood flow to the pulp area, causing toothache.
The dental pulp becomes infected and eventually dies. As the bacteria grow and multiply they are forced beyond the end of the tooth
and they form an abcess around the root tip. The jaw bone gets infected too leading to the breakdown of the tooth's supportive tissues.
Trauma - Cracked tooth. Trauma to the tooth, such as when a tooth is broken or chipped, is a common cause of tooth abscesses.
Fractures or cracks in the enamel and dentin can allow bacteria into the pulp, which may lead to tooth infection.
Infection may spread out from the root of the tooth and to the bones supporting the tooth.
Unrepaired restorations. Weakened dental restorations (e.g., fillings) may break down over time and allow bacteria to access the pulp,
potentially causing a tooth infection and abscess.
Periodontal disease. Gum disease causes the gums to pull away from the teeth, creating deep pockets of space between the teeth and gums.
If food particles become stuck in these pockets, bacteria may grow and an abscess can develop in the gums.
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