A severe infection of the pulp of your tooth is known as a dental abscess. If not promptly diagnosed and treated at a dental office near Gurnee, the infection may spread to other areas of your body. You may also risk losing your tooth if your abscess goes untreated. Here are some ways your dentist can diagnose an abscess and how they can treat it.
Diagnosing Dental Abscesses
An abscessed tooth typically causes various signs and symptoms. During your appointment at the dental office near Gurnee, your dentist will ask you if you have symptoms of an abscessed tooth, such as a toothache, gum inflammation, bleeding gums, or drainage from the tooth.
Your dentist will also examine the affected tooth with a probing instrument to evaluate the area for gum damage and purulent drainage. They will also take a bitewing x-ray of the tooth because an abscess will usually show up on a dental x-ray.
Treating Dental Abscesses
Your dentist will clean and irrigate your tooth to clear away as much of the infectious material as possible. Because a dental abscess is a bacterial infection, your dentist may also prescribe a course of oral antibiotics.
You will need to complete the entire prescription of antibiotics even if your symptoms subside after only a few doses. If you do not take all of your prescribed medication, your infection may not be completely clear.
To learn more about treating an abscessed tooth or to make an appointment, call Excellence in Dentistry, LTD or stop by the website at GurneeDDS.com.
