Have A Dental Abscess? What You Can Do Before Seeing A Dentist

A clear sign that you have a dental abscess is when your jaw feels painful and swollen with teeth that hurt when you touch them. This type of swelling and pain will not go away by itself, which is why you may want to consider seeing a dentist as soon as possible. Until it is time for your appointment, here are a few things you can do at home.

Dealing With Pressure and Pain

Bacteria has made its way into a tooth due to a crack or small cavity. The soft tissues and nerve of your tooth has been infected, causing your body to fight it by sending your white blood cells over to the area. This is why you have swelling in the area, and the associated pressure on your tooth's nerve is what is causing you to feel pain.

You should be taking ibuprofen, which is a pain medication that is anti-inflammatory and can help in reducing any swelling that is occurring in your jaw and the tooth. Swelling won't be reversed completely, but it should prevent the problem from becoming much worse prior to your dentist appointment.

Another trick is to rinse out your mouth using salt water. Simply mix some salt into a glass with warm water, sip it, and swish it around for a couple seconds. Repeat it a few times, since the mixture will pull water out from the area that is swollen and help reduce any pressure you are feeling.

A mix of 1 part water and 1 part hydrogen peroxide can also help you. Rinse in the same way as the salt-water solution, but be careful not to swallow it since hydrogen peroxide can cause stomach irritation. You'll see a similar effect with fluid being pulled from the area and bacteria being killed.

Black tea bags will also do wonders. Just moisten them and hold them against your gums, which will numb your mouth to pain.

Expectations At The Dentist

Once it is time for you dentist appointment, they will clean the area that is infected and determine how bacteria found its way into your tooth. Small cavities can be repaired, but a cracked tooth could require having it pulled. You'll be required to take antibiotics over several days, which helps ensure that your infection has completely gone away before dental work can be performed. For severe pain, you will be prescribed a pain medication that can be taken with the antibiotics.

For more information about dealing with your dental abscess, speak to your dentist, like Larchmont Dental Arts LLC.