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Abscessed Tooth Center - Owensboro, KY

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Owensboro, Kentucky

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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 Owensboro

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Owensboro Hospitals *

Owensboro Medical Health System
811 E Parrish Ave
Owensboro, KY 42303
(270)688-2000

Rivervalley Behavioral Health Hospital
1000 Industrial Dr
Owensboro, KY 42301
(270)689-6800

St Mary's Warrick
1116 Millis Ave
Boonville, IN 47601
(812)897-4800

Perry County Memorial Hospital
One Hospital Rd
Tell City, IN 47586
(812)547-7011

The Women's Hospital
4199 Gateway Blvd
Newburgh, IN 47630
(812)842-4200

Deaconess Cross Pointe
7200 E Indiana St
Evansville, IN 47715
(812)476-7200

HEALTHSOUTH Deaconess Rehabilitation Hospital
4100 Covert Ave
Evansville, IN 47714
(812)476-9983

St Elizabeth Ann Seton Specialty Care Hospital
3700 Washington Ave
Evansville, IN 47750
(812)485-7450

St Mary's Medical Center
3700 Washington Ave
Evansville, IN 47750
(812)485-4000

Evansville State Hospital
3400 Lincoln Ave
Evansville, IN 47714
(812)469-6800

Ohio County Hospital
1211 Old Main St
Hartford, KY 42347
(270)298-7411

Methodist Hospital
1305 N Elm St
Henderson, KY 42420
(270)827-7700

Deaconess Hospital
600 Mary St
Evansville, IN 47747
(812)450-5000

Select Specialty Hospital Evansville
600 Mary St
Evansville, IN 47747
(812)450-4100

Breckinridge Memorial
1011 Old Hwy 60
Hardinsburg, KY 40143
(270)756-7000

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