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Abscessed Tooth Center - Poway, CA

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Poway, California

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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 Poway

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Poway Hospitals *

Pomerado Hospital
15615 Pomerado Rd
Poway, CA 92064
(858)613-4000

Aurora Behavioral Healthcare
11878 Avenue of Industry
San Diego, CA 92128
(858)487-3200

VA San Diego Health Care System
3350 La Jolla Village Dr
San Diego, CA 92161
(858)552-8585

Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla
9888 Genesee Ave
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858)626-4123

Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center
4647 Zion Ave
San Diego, CA 92120
(619)528-5000

UCSD Thornton Hospital
9300 Campus Point Dr
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858)657-7000

Palomar Medical Center
555 E Valley Pkwy
Escondido, CA 92025
(760)739-3000

Scripps Green Hospital
10666 N Torrey Pines Rd
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858)455-9100

Sharp Grossmont Hospital
5555 Grossmont Center Dr
La Mesa, CA 91942
(619)740-6000

Alvarado Hospital
6655 Alvarado Rd
San Diego, CA 92120
(619)287-3270

San Diego Rehabilitation Institute
6645 Alvarado Rd
San Diego, CA 92120
(619)287-3270

Sharp Memorial Hospital
7901 Frost St
San Diego, CA 92123
(858)939-3400

Rady Children's Hospital San Diego
3020 Children's Way
San Diego, CA 92123
(858)576-1700

Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women
3003 Health Center Dr
San Diego, CA 92123
(858)939-3400

Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital
7850 Vista Hill Ave
San Diego, CA 92123
(858)278-4110

La Jolla Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
2552 Torrey Pines Rd
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858)453-5810

Promise Hospital of San Diego
5550 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105
(619)582-3800

Encinitas Nursing & Rehabilitation
900 Santa Fe Dr
Encinitas, CA 92024
(760)753-6423

Kindred Hospital San Diego
1940 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92104
(619)543-4500

Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas
354 Santa Fe Dr
Encinitas, CA 92024
(760)633-6501

San Diego Hospice
4311 Third Ave
San Diego, CA 92103
(619)688-1600

Scripps Mercy Hospital
4077 Fifth Ave
San Diego, CA 92103
(619)294-8111

UCSD Medical Center Hillcrest
200 W Arbor Dr
San Diego, CA 92103
(619)543-6222

Vibra Hospital of San Diego
555 Washington St
San Diego, CA 92103
(619)260-8300

San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital
3851 Rosecrans St
San Diego, CA 92110
(619)692-8200

Naval Medical Center San Diego
34800 Bob Wilson Dr
San Diego, CA 92134
(619)532-6400

Paradise Valley Hospital
2400 E Fourth St
National City, CA 91950
(619)470-4321

Sharp Coronado Hospital
250 Prospect Pl
Coronado, CA 92118
(619)522-3600

Tri-City Medical Center
4002 Vista Way
Oceanside, CA 92056
(760)724-8411

Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista
435 H St
Chula Vista, CA 91910
(619)691-7000

Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center
751 Medical Center Ct
Chula Vista, CA 91911
(619)502-5800

Bayview Behavioral Health Campus
330 Moss St
Chula Vista, CA 91911
(619)426-6310

Fallbrook Hospital
624 E Elder St
Fallbrook, CA 92028
(760)728-1191

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