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Abscessed Tooth Center - Fayetteville, NC

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Fayetteville, North Carolina

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Throughout Fayetteville, North Carolina

Abscessed Tooth

What are the symptoms of an abscessed tooth?

A toothache that is severe and continuous and results in gnawing or throbbing pain or sharp or shooting pain are common symptoms of an abscessed tooth. Other symptoms may include:

What does an abscessed tooth look like?
  • Fever
  • Pain when chewing
  • Sensitivity of the teeth to hot or cold
  • Bitter taste in the mouth
  • Foul smell to the breath
  • Swollen neck glands
  • General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling
  • Redness and swelling of the gums
  • Swollen area of the upper or lower jaw
  • An open, draining sore on the side of the gum

If the root of the tooth dies as a result of infection, the toothache may stop. However, this doesn't mean the infection has healed; the infection remains active and continues to spread and destroy tissue. Therefore, if you experience any of the above listed symptoms, it is important to see a dentist even if the pain subsides.

How is an abscessed tooth diagnosed?

Your dentist will probe your teeth with a dental instrument. If you have an abscessed tooth, you will feel pain when the tooth is tapped by your dentist's probe. Your dentist will also ask you if your pain increases when you bite down or when you close your mouth tightly. In addition, your dentist may suspect an abscessed tooth because your gums may be swollen and red.

Your dentist may also take X-rays to look for erosion of the bone around the abscess.

How is an abscessed tooth treated?

Strategies to eliminate the infection, preserve the tooth, and prevent complications are the goals of treatment for an abscessed tooth.

To eliminate infec...

Recommended Reading Related to Abscessed Tooth

Problems With Dental Fillings »

Introduction

Tooth sensitivity following placement of a filling is fairly common. A tooth may be sensitive to pressure, air, sweet foods, or temperature. Usually, the sensitivity resolves on its own within a few weeks. During this time, avoid those things that are causing the sensitivity. Pain relievers are generally not required.

Contact your dentist if the sensitivity does not subside within 2 to 4 weeks or if your tooth is extremely sensitive. He or she may recommend you use a desensitizing toothpaste, may apply a desensitizing agent to the tooth, or possibly suggest a root canal procedure.

Pain Around Fillings

There are several explanations for pain around fillings, each resulting from a different cause.

  1. Pain when you bite. With this type of pain, the pain occurs when you bite down. The pain is noticed soon after the anesthesia wears off and continues over time. In this case, the...

Emergency Contact for Fayetteville

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Fayetteville Hospitals *

Highsmith-Rainey Specialty Hospital
150 Robeson St
Fayetteville, NC 28301
(910)609-1000

Fayetteville VA Medical Center
2300 Ramsey St
Fayetteville, NC 28301
(910)488-2120

Cape Fear Valley Medical Center
1638 Owen Dr
Fayetteville, NC 28304
(910)609-4000

Behavioral Health Care Cape Fear Health System
3425 Melrose Rd
Fayetteville, NC 28304
(910)609-3600

Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital
800 Tilghman Dr
Dunn, NC 28334
(910)892-1000

Southeastern Regional Medical Center
300 W 27th St
Lumberton, NC 28359
(910)671-5000

St Joseph of the Pines Health Center
103 Gossman Dr
Southern Pines, NC 28387
(910)246-1000

Sampson Regional Medical Center
607 Beaman St
Clinton, NC 28328
(910)592-8511

Bladen County Hospital
501 S Poplar St
Elizabethtown, NC 28337
(910)862-5100

Central Carolina Hospital
1135 Carthage St
Sanford, NC 27330
(919)774-2100

FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital
155 Memorial Dr
Pinehurst, NC 28374
(910)715-1000

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