Periapical and periodontal infections you shouldn’t underestimate

Mouth infections are very common pathologies that affect the oral cavity of those people that do not keep a good oral hygiene. Tooth and gums infection may also occur due to an accident when a tooth brakes because of a trauma (this is very common while practicing contact sports).

In the infection area it is possible to see a reddish and painful swelling containing a yellowish fluid called pus. If that pus can’t find a way to drain out the swelling grows and you will feel more pain because of the increased pressure there inside.

The abscess is like a container created to try to avoid the infection to spread affecting other body organs or regions.

Periodontal and periapical abscesses have many symptoms in common: Patients always report toothache, difficulties chewing, increased sensitivity, swollen cheek etc. in some cases the mouth infection can be cause temperature, swollen lymph nodes, neck and ear pain.

Let’s see now what are the most common abscesses that may affect your gums and teeth.

Periapical abscess

The first type of infection is the periapical abscess better known as tooth abscess. This pathology is located close to the tip of the dental root and externally around it.

The main cause is a simple tooth decay leaved untreated that killed the inner vital part of the tooth called pulp.

After necrotizing the pulp, bacteria try to get out of the tooth and attack the surrounding tissue around the tooth root. Our body reacts forming a kind of barrier around the infection to limit its action range. At this stage, swelling and pain increase because of the pus accumulation in the bump. It is not so rare to see a boil filled of pus close to the infection zone.

The first thing the endodontist has to do in order to calm your pain down is to drain the abscess making the pus to come out. It can be a painful procedure that’s why to treat many patients the local anesthesia is required. After draining you will feel immediately better because the pain decreases instantly even if the real abscess treatment is not even started.

So what’s next ? Usually the most common treatment for the tooth abscess is the root canal treatment. In other words, the dentist has to remove the infected tissue from within the dental element being sure to sanitize the canal and kill all the bad bacteria. When the infection is large, the doctor prefers to repeat the disinfection procedure more than once before finally closing the root canal with a special filling material and placing a dental crown to replace the completely damaged natural one.

Periodontal abscess

The periodontal abscess differs from the periapical because the infection doesn’t start within the tooth but deep in the gum pocket located between the tooth root and the surrounding gingival tissue.

We can say that the infection is caused by very poor oral hygiene; in fact if you leave the plaque to accumulate at the gingival margin, the irritation may cause the gingiva detaching from the tooth cementum. In this way bacteria can easily go deep and attack the dental element supporting tissue such as the periodontal ligament. If not caught in time, the infection can lead to the dental lose..

Not adequate oral hygiene is not the only cause of abscess, even a trauma that leave the pulp uncovered can be the initial reason of the infection.

Anyway, the most common way to prevent abscesses in your mouth is to brush and floss daily. As soon as you feel one or more symptoms listed above you should call your dentist and set a preventive appointment.

Asymptomatic abscess

Asymptomatic abscess can stay in place for years without causing any pain but they won’t go away on its own. So visit your dental office at least one time a year to get your teeth professionally cleaned and a full mouth examination.