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Abscessed Tooth Center - West Des Moines, IA

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West Des Moines, Iowa

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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 West Des Moines

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby West Des Moines Hospitals *

Mercy Franklin Center
1818 48th St
Des Moines, IA 50310
(515)271-6000

Blank Children's Hospital
1200 Pleasant St
Des Moines, IA 50309
(515)241-5437

Iowa Methodist Medical Center
1200 Pleasant St
Des Moines, IA 50309
(515)241-6212

VA Central Iowa Health Care Des Moines
3600 30th St
Des Moines, IA 50310
(515)699-5999

Broadlawns Medical Center
1801 Hickman Rd
Des Moines, IA 50314
(515)282-2200

Mercy Medical Center Des Moines
1111 6th Ave
Des Moines, IA 50314
(515)247-3121

Iowa Lutheran Hospital
700 E University Ave
Des Moines, IA 50316
(515)263-5612

Madison County Healthcare System
300 Hutchings St
Winterset, IA 50273
(515)462-2373

Dallas County Hospital
610 Tenth St
Perry, IA 50220
(515)465-3547

Mary Greeley Medical Center
1111 Duff Ave
Ames, IA 50010
(515)239-2011

Boone County Hospital
1015 Union St
Boone, IA 50036
(515)432-3140

Story County Medical Center
630 Sixth St
Nevada, IA 50201
(515)382-2111

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