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What are the
tooth abscess
symptoms?
The main symptom of a tooth infection is usually a severe, persistent and continuous toothache with throbbing or sharp pain.
Initial tooth abscess symptoms may include:
 Pain when chewing.
Sensitivity of the teeth to heat, cold or pressure.
Increased teeth mobility or loose teeth.
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Advanced tooth absess symptoms may include:
Visible boil in the gums near a tooth (gum boil)
Pus drainage in the mouth
Foul taste in mouth and bad breath (a result of pus drainage)
Redness and swelling of the gums, jaw or face
Difficulty fully opening the mouth or swallowing.
Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling
Severe tooth abcess symptoms such as fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, mean that the tooth infection has spread
to other tissues or organs. The condition may become life-threatening; see your doctor immediately.
If the nerve at the root of the tooth dies as a result of infection, the toothache may stop.
However, this doesn't mean the tooth infection has healed; the tooth absess symptoms will gradually worsen as the infection continues to spread and destroy periodontal tissues.
Therefore, if you experience any of the above listed symptoms of tooth abscess, it is important to see a dentist and get tooth abscess treatment even if the pain subsides.
Diagnosis of tooth abcess
A dentist will first ask for details about the symptoms, to check if they match with tooth infection symptoms.
A physical examination of the mouth may be enough for the diagnosis if the dentist finds evidence indicating a dental abscess,
such as a boil in the gums near a tooth, or redness and swelling of gum tissue.
The dentist will also do a pulp test to find the extent of damage to the pulp of the tooth by gently tapping the suspected tooth,
applying cold or heat, or using electrical stimulation.
Your dentist will also ask you if pain increases when you bite down or when you close your mouth tightly.
While a sharp pain during these tests is one of the common symptoms of tooth abcess,
absence of pain may also mean that the nerves in the pulp may no longer be alive due to an advanced tooth infection.
If the dentist suspects that the tooth root infection has spread to the jaw-bone, he will take x-rays to evaluate the damage to the bone around the tooth abscess.
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