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Abscessed Tooth Center - Port Arthur, TX

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Port Arthur, Texas

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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 Port Arthur

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Port Arthur Hospitals *

CHRISTUS St Mary Hospital
3600 Gates Blvd
Port Arthur, TX 77642
(409)985-7431

Dubuis Hospital Port Arthur
3600 Gates Blvd
Port Arthur, TX 77642
(409)989-5300

Renaissance Hospital Groves
5500 39th St
Groves, TX 77619
(409)962-5733

Medical Center of Southeast Texas
2555 Jimmy Johnson Blvd
Port Arthur, TX 77642
(409)724-7389

Promise Hospital of Southeast Texas
2600 Highway 365
Nederland, TX 77627
(409)726-8700

Memorial Hermann Baptist Beaumont
3080 College St
Beaumont, TX 77701
(409)212-5000

Harbor Hospital of Southeast Texas
608 Strickland Dr
Orange, TX 77630
(409)882-7200

Memorial Hermann Baptist Orange Hospital
608 Strickland Dr
Orange, TX 77630
(409)883-9361

Dubuis Hospital Beaumont
2830 Calder Ave
Beaumont, TX 77702
(409)899-8154

CHRISTUS St Elizabeth Hospital
2830 Calder Ave
Beaumont, TX 77702
(409)892-7171

HEALTHSOUTH Beaumont Rehabilitation Hospital
3340 Plz 10 Blvd
Beaumont, TX 77707
(409)835-0835

Winnie Community Hospital
538 Broadway
Winnie, TX 77665
(409)296-6000

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