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Abscessed Tooth Center - Olympia, WA

WebMD Physician Directory

Olympia, Washington

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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

Toothache »

What is a toothache?

"Toothache" usually refers to pain around the teeth or jaws primarily as a result of a dental condition. In most instances, toothaches are caused by tooth problems, such as a dental cavity, a cracked tooth, an exposed tooth root, or gum disease. However, disorders of the jaw joint (temporo-mandibular joint) can also cause pain that is referred to as "toothache." The severity of a toothache can range from chronic and mild to sharp and excruciating. The pain may be aggravated by chewing or by cold or heat. A thorough oral examination, which includes dental X-rays, can help determine whether the toothache is coming from a tooth or jaw problem and the cause.

Sometimes, a toothache may be caused by a problem not originating from a tooth or the jaw. Pain around the teeth and the jaws can be symptoms of diseases of the heart (such as angina or heart attack), ears (such as inner or external ear infections), and sinuses (air passages of the cheekb...

Emergency Contact for Olympia

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Olympia Hospitals *

Providence St Peter Hospital
413 Lilly Rd NE
Olympia, WA 98506
(360)491-9480

Capital Medical Center
3900 Capital Mall Dr SW
Olympia, WA 98502
(360)754-5858

Mason General Hospital
901 Mt View Dr
Shelton, WA 98584
(360)426-1611

Mark Reed Hospital
322 S Birch St
Mccleary, WA 98557
(360)495-3244

Saint Clare Hospital
11315 Bridgeport Way SW
Lakewood, WA 98499
(253)588-1711

Providence Centralia Hospital
914 S Scheuber Rd
Centralia, WA 98531
(360)736-2803

Allenmore Hospital
1901 S Union Ave
Tacoma, WA 98405
(253)459-6633

Pierce County Human Services
3580 Pacific Ave
Tacoma, WA 98418
(253)798-4500

St Joseph Medical Center
1717 South J St
Tacoma, WA 98405
(253)426-4101

Mary Bridge Children's Hospital & Health Center
317 Martin Luther King Jr Way
Tacoma, WA 98405
(253)403-1400

Tacoma General Hospital
315 Martin Luther King Jr Way
Tacoma, WA 98405
(253)403-1000

Good Samaritan Hospital & Community Healthcare
407 14th Ave SE
Puyallup, WA 98372
(253)848-6661

St Francis Hospital
34515 Ninth Ave S
Federal Way, WA 98003
(253)944-8100

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