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Abscessed Tooth Center - Johnson City, TN

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Johnson City, Tennessee

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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 Johnson City

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Johnson City Hospitals *

Johnson City Specialty Hospital
203 E Watauga Ave
Johnson City, TN 37601
(423)434-1400

James H Quillen VA Medical Center
Corner of Lamont & Veterans Way
Mountain Home, TN 37684
(423)926-1171

Woodridge Hospital
403 State of Franklin Rd
Johnson City, TN 37604
(423)928-7111

Johnson City Medical Center
400 N State of Franklin Rd
Johnson City, TN 37604
(423)431-6111

North Side Hospital
401 Princeton Rd
Johnson City, TN 37601
(423)854-5600

Quillen Rehabilitation Hospital
2511 Wesley St
Johnson City, TN 37601
(423)952-1700

Sycamore Shoals Hospital
1501 W Elk Ave
Elizabethton, TN 37643
(423)542-1300

Unicoi County Memorial Hospital
100 Greenway Cir
Erwin, TN 37650
(423)743-3141

Indian Path Medical Center
2000 Brookside Dr
Kingsport, TN 37660
(423)857-7000

Indian Path Pavilion
2300 Pavilion Dr
Kingsport, TN 37660
(423)857-5500

Wellmont Bristol Regional Medical Center
1 Medical Park Blvd
Bristol, TN 37620
(423)844-1121

HEALTHSOUTH Rehabilitation Hospital
113 Cassell Dr
Kingsport, TN 37660
(423)246-7240

Wellmont Holston Valley Medical Center
130 W Ravine St
Kingsport, TN 37662
(423)224-4000

Laughlin Memorial Hospital
1420 Tusculum Blvd
Greeneville, TN 37745
(423)787-5000

Takoma Regional
401 Takoma Ave
Greeneville, TN 37743
(423)639-3151

Charles A Cannon Jr Memorial Hospital
434 Hospital Dr
Linville, NC 28646
(828)737-7000

Johnson County Community Hospital
1901 S Shady St
Mountain City, TN 37683
(423)727-1100

Spruce Pine Community Hospital
125 Hospital Dr
Spruce Pine, NC 28777
(828)765-4201

Johnston Memorial Hospital
351 Court St NE
Abingdon, VA 24210
(276)676-7000

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