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Abscessed Tooth Center - Westfield, MA

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Westfield, Massachusetts

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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 Westfield

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Westfield Hospitals *

Western Massachusetts Hospital
91 E Mountain Rd
Westfield, MA 01085
(413)562-4131

Baystate Medical Center
759 Chestnut St
Springfield, MA 01199
(413)794-0000

Mercy Medical Center
271 Carew St
Springfield, MA 01104
(413)748-9000

Weldon Rehabilitation Hospital
233 Carew St
Springfield, MA 01104
(413)748-9000

Shriners Hospital for Children
516 Carew St
Springfield, MA 01104
(413)787-2000

Noble Hospital
115 W Silver St
Westfield, MA 01086
(413)568-2811

Providence Hospital
1233 Main St
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413)536-5111

Kindred Hospital Park View
1400 State St
Springfield, MA 01109
(413)787-6700

Holyoke Medical Center
575 Beech St
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413)534-2500

HEALTHSOUTH Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts
14 Chestnut Pl
Ludlow, MA 01056
(413)589-7581

Cooley Dickinson Hospital
30 Locust St
Northampton, MA 01060
(413)582-2000

Northampton VA Medical Center
421 N Main St
Leeds, MA 01053
(413)584-4040

Wing Memorial Hospital & Medical Center
40 Wright St
Palmer, MA 01069
(413)283-7651

Johnson Memorial Hospital
201 Chestnut Hill Rd
Stafford Springs, CT 06076
(860)684-4251

Rockville General Hospital
31 Union St
Vernon Rockville, CT 06066
(860)872-5100

St Francis Care Hospital Mount Sinai Campus
500 Blue Hills Ave
Hartford, CT 06112
(860)714-4000

The Hospital at Hebrew Healthcare
1 Abrahms Blvd
W Hartford, CT 06117
(860)523-3800

Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital
490 Blue Hills Ave
Hartford, CT 06112
(860)714-3500

St Francis Hospital & Medical Center
114 Woodland St
Hartford, CT 06105
(860)714-4000

Manchester Memorial Hospital
71 Haynes St
Manchester, CT 06040
(860)646-1222

Baystate Mary Lane Hospital
85 South St
Ware, MA 01082
(413)967-6211

Hungerford Emergency & Medical Care
115 Spencer St
Winsted, CT 06098
(860)738-6650

Connecticut Children's Medical Center
282 Washington St
Hartford, CT 06106
(860)545-9000

Hartford Hospital
80 Seymour St
Hartford, CT 06102
(860)545-5000

Institute of Living Hartford Hospital
200 Retreat Ave
Hartford, CT 06106
(800)673-2411

University of Connecticut Health Center John Dempsey
263 Farmington Ave
Farmington, CT 06030
(860)679-2000

VA Connecticut Healthcare System Newington Campus
555 Willard Ave
Newington, CT 06111
(860)666-6951

Cedarcrest Hospital
525 Russell Rd
Newington, CT 06111
(860)666-4613

Hospital for Special Care
2150 Corbin Ave
New Britain, CT 06053
(860)827-1958

The Hospital of Central Connecticut New Britain Campus
100 Grand St
New Britain, CT 06052
(860)224-5011

Veterans Home & Hospital Rocky Hill
287 West St
Rocky Hill, CT 06067
(860)529-2571

Harrington Memorial Hospital
100 South St
Southbridge, MA 01550
(508)765-9771

Charlotte Hungerford Hospital
540 Litchfield St
Torrington, CT 06790
(860)496-6666

Bristol Hospital
41 Brewster Rd
Bristol, CT 06010
(860)585-3000

Franklin Medical Center
164 High St
Greenfield, MA 01301
(413)773-0211

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