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Abscessed Tooth Center - Knoxville, TN

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Knoxville, 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 Knoxville

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Knoxville Hospitals *

Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center
1901 Clinch Ave SW
Knoxville, TN 37916
(865)541-1111

Baptist Riverside Outpatient Testing
137 W Blount Ave
Knoxville, TN 37920
(865)218-7011

Select Specialty Hospital
1901 Clinch Ave
Knoxville, TN 37916
(865)541-2600

East Tennessee Children's Hospital
2018 Clinch Ave
Knoxville, TN 37916
(865)541-8000

St Marys Health System
900 E Oak Hill Ave
Knoxville, TN 37917
(865)545-8000

University of Tennessee Medical Center
1924 Alcoa Hwy
Knoxville, TN 37920
(865)544-9000

Lakeshore Mental Health Institute
5908 Lyons View Dr
Knoxville, TN 37919
(865)584-1561

Peninsula Hospital
2347 Jones Bend Rd
Louisville, TN 37777
(865)970-9800

Parkwest Medical Center
9352 Park West Blvd
Knoxville, TN 37923
(865)373-1000

Baptist Hospital for Women
10820 Parkside Dr NW
Knoxville, TN 37934
(865)218-6011

Blount Memorial Hospital
907 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy
Maryville, TN 37804
(865)983-7211

Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge
990 Oak Ridge Tpke
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
(865)835-1000

Ridgeview Psychiatric Hospital & Center
240 W Tyrone Rd
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
(865)482-1076

Fort Loudoun Medical Center
550 Fort Loudoun Medical Center Dr
Lenoir City, TN 37772
(865)271-6000

Fort Sanders Sevier Medical Center
709 Middle Creek Rd
Sevierville, TN 37862
(865)429-6100

St Mary's Jefferson Memorial Hospital
110 Hospital Dr
Jefferson City, TN 37760
(865)471-2500

St Mary's Medical Center of Campbell County
923 E Central Ave
La Follette, TN 37766
(423)907-1200

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