3 Mistakes To Avoid When You Suspect You Have An Abscessed Tooth

If you have recently had dental work done, you may have noticed an increase in your pain or that you have started running a fever. If so, you may have an abscessed tooth, a pocket of infection that can form when bacteria invade the surgical site. If you suspect that you may have one, avoid making the following mistakes while trying to take care of it yourself.

Using A Brush to Clean the Area

If you suspect you have an infected tooth, your first response may be to keep the area as clean as possible. So, you may decide to start brushing your teeth more often to try to remove any germs surrounding the area. While keeping your tooth clean is vital in getting rid of the infection, brushing your teeth may make your symptoms and your condition worse.

When you brush your gums, the harsh bristles irritate the already inflamed tissue. Every time you use your toothbrush, you will most likely notice an increase in your pain. However, making your pain worse is not the most serious side effect of brushing your teeth.

Because your gums are already swollen, they are more likely to tear. If you brush your teeth with a regular toothbrush, you may rip open the pocket of infection. This could cause it to spread to other areas of your gums, as well as leave an opening for more bacteria to enter.

Instead of brushing your teeth, rinse your mouth with an antiseptic mouthwash. Or, if you do not have any available, rinse with warm salt water to help reduce the swelling and kill the bacteria.

If you have any food stuck in between your teeth or on the abscess itself, use a water pick to gently rinse it away. Do not use floss near the abscess, as it too could irritate and tear the gum tissue.

Trying to Pop the Abscess

While examining your mouth, you may see the head of the abscess and be tempted to pop the pocket of infection and let it drain. After all, since this is a treatment some dentists use to treat an abscess, you can save yourself time and money spent on an appointment and do it yourself, right?

Although draining the infection is a treatment option for severe infections, doing so yourself would not be a good thing. You most likely do not have access to the same sterile instruments and solutions that your dentist does. Also, you would not have the antibiotics that are also prescribed following this procedure.

Hoping It Heals on Its Own

Another crucial mistake you can make while caring for an abscessed tooth is to do nothing. If you think that you can wait it out and hope that the infection heals on its own, you are opening yourself up not only to a worsening infection in your mouth but also a much worse situation.

If left untreated, an abscessed tooth could lead to serious complications. The infection could even spread into your bloodstream and lead to sepsis, a body-wide infection that would not only make you extremely ill but could also kill you. If you become septic, you will have to be hospitalized and treated with intravenous antibiotics, sometimes for an extended period of time.

An abscessed tooth is a serious condition that constitutes a dental emergency, especially if you are having severe pain, excessive drainage or a high fever If your dentist cannot see you promptly, find a nearby facility that offers dental emergency services so your treatment can begin as soon as possible before the infection worsens or spreads.