A person may only get a tooth infection once in their lifetime, but factors like poor dental hygiene and poor food choices can increase the frequency of getting a tooth infection.
Tooth infection occurs when harmful bacteria enter the tooth through a cavity, which causes mild to severe pain, or sometimes no pain. But if you’re not careful, a tooth infection can spread to other parts of your body and become life-threatening.
Therefore, you must know the symptoms of tooth infection. Learning about the symptoms of tooth infection allows you to identify the condition early on and helps you get the treatment you need.
How does Tooth Infection Develop?
A tooth infection is also known as an abscessed tooth or dental abscess. It’s a pocket of pus beneath your teeth and gums or visible on the tooth surface.
Plaque, a by-product of food, saliva, and oral bacteria, forms a sticky layer on the surface of the teeth. The harmful bacteria in the plaque can damage the teeth and gums. If the plaque is not removed properly via brushing and flossing, the bacteria spreads into the soft tissue of your tooth or gums, resulting in an abscess or tooth infection.
A tooth infection can develop in various locations around a tooth, sometimes impacting the surrounding bone and the adjacent teeth. It must be treated right away since a tooth infection won’t heal.
Types of Tooth Infection
There are three common types of tooth infection:
- Periodontal abscess: This infection starts in the tissues around the tooth and can spread to the surrounding tissue and bone.
- Periapical abscess: This infection forms at the tip of the root.
- Gingival abscess: This infection develops on the gums.
Symptoms of Tooth Infection
In most cases, a major symptom of tooth infection is a toothache. If you get a sharp, pulsating, or throbbing pain when you chew something or put pressure on the tooth, it indicates a tooth infection. Moreover, the pain may spread to other parts of your face, your jaw, and even your neck.
However, some people may not experience pain and still have dental abscesses. Other symptoms of tooth infection include:
- Swelling around the tooth
- Gum redness
- Swollen jaw or face
- Extreme sensitivity to hot, cold, and sugary foods
- Bad breath or even a bitter taste in your mouth
- Change in tooth colour
- Fever
- Loosening of the tooth
- Headache, which can also be accompanied by earache
- Open, leaking sore near the tooth or on the gum
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Difficulty opening mouth and moving jaw
- Pain worsens as you lie down
- Feeling sick
If you notice such symptoms of tooth infection, you need to visit your dentist ASAP. Your dentist will examine the infection and recommend treatment depending on the severity of the infection. The most typical treatment for an abscessed tooth is root canal treatment.
Root Canal Treatment in Pennant Hills, NSW
If you’re seeking experienced dentists in Pennant Hills, NSW, Australia, then Hills Dental Design is the right choice. We come with a team of skilled dentists who have been providing high-quality dental services for years.
Call our super-friendly customer service and book your appointment today.