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Abscessed Tooth Center - Lafayette, LA

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Lafayette, Louisiana

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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 Lafayette

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Lafayette Hospitals *

Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center
611 St Landry St
Lafayette, LA 70506
(337)289-2000

Park Place Surgery Hospital
901 Wilson St
Lafayette, LA 70503
(337)237-8119

Lafayette General Medical Center
1214 Coolidge Blvd
Lafayette, LA 70503
(337)289-7991

Louisiana Extended Care Hospital Lafayette
1214 Coolidge Blvd
Lafayette, LA 70503
(337)289-8180

University Medical Center Lafayette
2390 W Congress St
Lafayette, LA 70506
(337)261-6000

Community Specialty Hospital Lafayette
408 SE Evangeline Trwy
Lafayette, LA 70501
(337)234-4031

Meadowbrook Specialty Hospital
204 Energy Pkwy
Lafayette, LA 70508
(337)232-1905

Heart Hospital of Lafayette
1105 Kaliste Saloom Rd
Lafayette, LA 70508
(337)521-1000

Lafayette Surgical Specialty Hospital
1101 Kaliste Saloom Rd
Lafayette, LA 70508
(337)769-4100

Acadia Vermilion Hospital
2520 N University Ave
Lafayette, LA 70507
(337)234-5614

Southwest Medical Center
2810 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy
Lafayette, LA 70506
(337)981-2949

LTAC of Acadiana
310 Youngsville Hwy
Lafayette, LA 70508
(337)839-9880

Southpark Community Hospital
314 Youngsville Hwy
Lafayette, LA 70508
(337)769-4080

Womens & Children's Hospital
4600 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy
Lafayette, LA 70508
(337)521-9100

St Martin Hospital
210 Champagne Blvd
Breaux Bridge, LA 70517
(337)332-2178

Acadia St Landry Hospital
810 S Broadway St
Church Point, LA 70525
(337)684-5435

Doctors Hospital of Opelousas
3983 I-49 S Service Rd
Opelousas, LA 70570
(337)948-2100

American Legion Hospital
1305 Crowley Rayne Hwy
Crowley, LA 70526
(337)783-3222

Dauterive Hospital
600 N Lewis St
New Iberia, LA 70563
(337)365-7311

Crowley Rehabilitation Hospital
713 N Avenue L
Crowley, LA 70526
(337)783-2859

Iberia Medical Center
2315 E Main St
New Iberia, LA 70560
(337)364-0441

Abrom Kaplan Memorial Hospital
1310 W 7th St
Kaplan, LA 70548
(337)643-8300

Opelousas General Health System
539 E Prudhomme St
Opelousas, LA 70570
(337)948-3011

St Landry Extended Care Hospital
539 E Prudhomme Ln
Opelousas, LA 70570
(337)948-5184

Acadian Medical Center
3501 US Highway 190
Eunice, LA 70535
(337)580-7500

Abbeville General Hospital
118 N Hospital Dr
Abbeville, LA 70510
(337)893-5466

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