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Abscessed Tooth Center - Tyler, TX

WebMD Physician Directory

Tyler, 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 Tyler

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Tyler Hospitals *

Mother Frances Hospital Tyler
800 E Dawson St
Tyler, TX 75701
(903)593-8441

Tyler ContinueCare Hospital
800 E Dawson St
Tyler, TX 75701
(903)531-4080

East Texas Medical Center Specialty Hospital
1000 S Beckham Ave
Tyler, TX 75701
(903)596-3600

East Texas Medical Center Tyler
1000 S Beckham Ave
Tyler, TX 75701
(903)597-0351

East Texas Medical Center Rehabilitation
701 Olympic Plaza Cir
Tyler, TX 75701
(903)596-3000

Texas Spine & Joint Hospital
1814 Roseland Blvd
Tyler, TX 75701
(903)526-8754

HEALTHSOUTH Tyler Rehabilitation Hospital
3131 Troup Hwy
Tyler, TX 75701
(903)510-7000

University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler
11937 US Hwy 271
Tyler, TX 75708
(903)877-3451

Laird Memorial Hospital
1612 S Henderson Blvd
Kilgore, TX 75662
(903)984-3505

East Texas Medical Center Jacksonville
501 S Ragsdale St
Jacksonville, TX 75766
(903)541-5000

Mother Frances Hospital Jacksonville
2026 S Jackson St
Jacksonville, TX 75766
(903)541-4500

ETMC Henderson
300 Wilson St
Henderson, TX 75652
(903)657-7541

East Texas Medical Center Quitman
117 N Winnsboro St
Quitman, TX 75783
(903)763-6300

East Texas Medical Center Gilmer
712 N Wood St
Gilmer, TX 75644
(903)841-7100

Cozby Germany Hospital
707 N Waldrip St
Grand Saline, TX 75140
(903)962-4242

East Texas Medical Center Athens
2000 S Palestine St
Athens, TX 75751
(903)676-1000

Good Shepherd Medical Center Longview
700 E Marshall Ave
Longview, TX 75601
(903)315-2000

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