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Abscessed Tooth Center - Rapid City, SD

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Rapid City, South Dakota

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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 Rapid City

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Rapid City Hospitals *

Regional West Center for Behavioral Health
915 Mountain View Rd
Rapid City, SD 57702
(605)719-7200

Rapid City Regional Hospital
353 Fairmont Blvd
Rapid City, SD 57701
(605)719-1000

Black Hills Rehabilitation Hospital
2908 5th St
Rapid City, SD 57701
(605)719-1100

Rapid City Indian Health Service Hospital
3200 Canyon Lake Dr
Rapid City, SD 57702
(605)355-2500

Sturgis Community Health Care Center
949 Harmon St
Sturgis, SD 57785
(605)347-2536

VA Black Hills Health Care System Fort Meade
113 Comanche Rd
Fort Meade, SD 57741
(605)347-2511

Custer Community Hospital
1039 Montgomery St
Custer, SD 57730
(605)673-2229

Northern Hills General Hospital
61 Charles St
Deadwood, SD 57732
(605)578-2313

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