Symptoms of Tooth AbscessHaving a tooth abscess can be a very uncomfortable, if not to say painful experience. If not taken care of in time, it can be a bad event that you would remember for a very long time! Knowing how to detect the early stages of a tooth abscess might help you avoid a lot of suffering.

An abscess consists of an infection that has either reached a tooth in your mouth, or the gums around a tooth. People notice they have an abscess when they start feeling pain, even though an abscess can develop for weeks without really feeling anything. Therefore, the main symptom is intense pain in the mouth, that comes from the infected tooth, but that can also spread throughout the whole side of the face.

Other symptoms can also tell if a dental abscess is about to take place:

  • A dark hole in your tooth that can smell bad or that can give a bad taste in your mouth. If you detect such a hole, it’s important to consult right away.
  • Gums might become red and puffy, with swelling around the tooth that might cause pain. This can happen with either a tooth infection or gum infection.
  • Chewing food can become painful as the abscessed tooth comes in contact with food or with other teeth.
  • Bacterial and viral infections, that are the causes of dental abscesses, can both cause symptoms such as malaise, fever, and chills. This leads to general fatigue and even headaches.
  • After the swelling occurs, pus might come out by itself and flow into the mouth. The pus’ taste is very bad, and it’s recommended to spit out the pus instead of swallowing it, but pain does go away after this happens.

The information above should be used as a reference only. Any medical decision should not be taken before consulting a health care professional.

The masculine gender may have been more used in the article, but without prejudice, to make reading easier.

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