What Causes a Tooth Abscess & What Happens If You Leave It?

What Causes a Tooth Abscess & What Happens If You Leave It?

In our role as a trusted dentist in Manchester, we find out all kinds of things about our patients. One thing we notice, on a regular basis, is that people with toothache tend to wait far too long to seek help for it. Hoping it will just go away on its own, they put up with pain and swelling that gets worse and worse.

Over 52,000 people a year in the UK end up having to visit A&E for dental abscesses, showing exactly how bad this kind of issue can get. The sad part is that many could have stayed well away from the hospital.

In this article, we look at what causes a tooth abscess, the warning signs to watch for, and what can happen if you do nothing about it.

What Are Dental Abscesses & Why Do They Occur?

So, what exactly is an abscessed tooth? Well, it’s an infection that’s built up because bacteria has gotten inside. Typically, that means it’s found its way inside the tooth itself or down into the roots, and tooth abscess symptoms show up as throbbing pain, tenderness and even just as a bad taste.

The thing is, these problems always start off small. You might only notice that your gums are bleeding or a small crack in your tooth. There’s no guarantee you’d even see it as urgent, even if you did notice.

Left for long enough, the infection can spread deeper into the tooth and surrounding tissue. The upshot for you is more work being needed. As you can see below, it can happen for a host of reasons.

Some people assume an abscess will eventually settle down once the pain eases off a little, but that’s rarely the case. So, if you’ve been putting things off because you’re a nervous patient, our article on sedation dentistry shows you that there are some options available to make things easier.

What Are the Main Signs You Might Have a Tooth Abscess?

One of the reasons dental abscesses are allowed to form in the first place is that people don’t know they’re forming. Even when people have been given clear warning signs, they assume it’s nothing and move on, saying, “Ah, no. It’s just a bit of sensitivity. I’ll be fine”.

Another thing that catches people out is that symptoms of a tooth abscess can come and go, helping to ‘confirm’ in their minds that it’ll just sort itself out eventually. Knowing the signs when you experience them is key.

Signs to watch out for include:

• Throbbing Toothache – This is probably the biggest warning sign you’re going to get – a persistent throbbing pain that keeps coming back. Some people describe it as a dull ache, while others say it’s sharp enough to keep them awake at night.

It can also spread into your jaw, ear or face, making it surprisingly difficult to pinpoint which tooth is actually causing the problem.

• Facial Swelling – Another clear-cut way to tell if you’ve got a tooth abscess is when your face or the area around the tooth swells up. When things get even more serious – meaning it’s high time to book an appointment – you might even see your cheek or jawline doing the same thing.

• Bad Taste or Bad Breath – A bad taste in the mouth is something we hear about a lot from patients with abscesses. Sometimes the infection drains slightly, leaving an unpleasant taste or smell that brushing doesn’t properly get rid of.

It’s one of those symptoms people often ignore longer than they should. That said, there are other reasons for your breath to smell, as our blog explains.

• Pain When Eating or Drinking – Abscessed teeth are often extremely sensitive to pressure. Biting down can feel painful, while both hot drinks or cold food may suddenly trigger discomfort that lingers far longer than normal sensitivity would.

It’s worth reiterating here that these symptoms almost never improve permanently without some kind of treatment. If the pain, swelling or sensitivity keeps returning, your teeth are telling you that the infection is still there underneath.

Worried You Might Have a Tooth Abscess?

If you’ve got persistent tooth pain, swelling or tenderness that doesn’t seem to be getting better, it’s important not to ignore it. Problems like dental abscesses will pretty much always get worse when left, leading to more complicated treatment being needed.

At Ringway Dental, we help patients across Manchester with emergency dental treatment every day, so we’ve seen it all. We’ll look at the problem, and give you a clear, easy-to-understand plan of what we’ll do to restore your oral health.

Think you might have a tooth abscess? Get in touch with our team today to arrange an appointment and let’s stop things getting any worse.

FAQs

Q – Is it safe to fly with a tooth abscess?

A – It’s not ideal. Pressure changes during take-off and landing can make pain feel noticeably worse. If you’ve got a trip coming up and you think something’s going on with a tooth, get it checked before you go.

Q – Why does tooth abscess pain sometimes suddenly stop?

A – It usually means the pressure inside has reduced because the infection has started draining somewhere. It can feel like good news, but the infection itself hasn’t gone anywhere and still needs treating.

Q – Are smokers more likely to get dental abscesses?

A – Yes. Smoking makes gum disease more likely, slows down healing and makes the mouth more vulnerable to infection generally – all of which increases the chances of an abscess developing.

Q – Can a tooth abscess make you feel generally unwell?

A – Definitely. Once infection starts spreading beyond the tooth, it’s not unusual to feel tired, run down or notice swollen glands. Some people develop a fever too.

Q – Do tooth abscesses always show visible swelling?

A – Not always. Some infections sit deeper in the tooth or gum for a while before anything obvious appears on the surface, which is why persistent pain is always worth getting looked at rather than waiting it out.

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