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Abscessed Tooth Center - Greenville, SC

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Greenville, South Carolina

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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 Greenville

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Greenville Hospitals *

Bon Secours St Francis Health System Downtown
One St Francis Dr
Greenville, SC 29601
(864)255-1000

Regency Hospital of Greenville
One St Francis Dr
Greenville, SC 29601
(864)255-1401

GHS Greenville Memorial Medical Campus
701 Grove Rd
Greenville, SC 29605
(864)455-7000

Shriners Hospital For Children
950 W Faris Rd
Greenville, SC 29605
(864)271-3444

W J Barge Memorial Hospital
1700 Wade Hampton Blvd
Greenville, SC 29614
(864)242-5100

GHS Patewood Medical Campus
200 Patewood Dr
Greenville, SC 29615
(864)454-2600

Bon Secours St Francis Health System Eastside
125 Commonwealth Dr
Greenville, SC 29615
(864)675-4000

SpringBrook Behavioral Health System
1 Havenwood Ln
Travelers Rest, SC 29690
(864)834-8013

GHS North Greenville Hospital
807 N Main St
Travelers Rest, SC 29690
(864)834-5132

The Carolina Center for Behavioral Health
2700 E Phillips Rd
Greer, SC 29650
(864)235-2335

Greer Memorial Hospital
830 S Buncombe Rd
Greer, SC 29650
(864)848-8200

Palmetto Health Baptist Easley
200 Fleetwood Dr
Easley, SC 29640
(864)552-7200

GHS Hillcrest Hospital
729 SE Main St
Simpsonville, SC 29681
(864)967-6100

Cannon Memorial Hospital
123 W G Acker Dr
Pickens, SC 29671
(864)878-4791

AnMed Health Rehabilitation Hospital
1 Spring Back Way
Anderson, SC 29621
(864)716-2600

Patrick B Harris Psychiatric Hospital
130 Highway 252
Anderson, SC 29622
(864)231-2600

AnMed Health System
800 N Fant St
Anderson, SC 29621
(864)261-1000

Spartanburg Regional Medical Center
101 E Wood St
Spartanburg, SC 29303
(864)560-6000

Spartanburg Hospital for Restorative Care
389 Serpentine Dr
Spartanburg, SC 29303
(864)560-3280

St Luke's Hospital
101 Hospital Dr
Columbus, NC 28722
(828)894-3311

Mary Black Memorial Hospital
1700 Skylyn Dr
Spartanburg, SC 29307
(864)573-3000

Pardee Hospital
800 N Justice St
Hendersonville, NC 28791
(828)696-1000

Transylvania Community Hospital
90 Hospital Dr
Brevard, NC 28712
(828)884-9111

Oconee Memorial Hospital
298 Memorial Dr
Seneca, SC 29678
(864)882-3351

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