Maintaining good oral health is essential and you can avoid awful problems when you see your dentist regularly. When the majority of people think of dental issues, they usually think of cavities, which tend to be easy to detect and fix. However, a lot of people do not realize that some conditions like an abscessed tooth can lead to severe health issues or even death when not treated right away.
Dentists who offer manhasset general and cosmetic dentistry services always remind patients to practice good oral hygiene. This can help reduce your risk of having an abscessed tooth. Also, you need to know the symptoms of this condition, so you can get it addressed by a dentist as soon as possible. Leaving an abscessed tooth untreated can result in devastating health consequences and may even lead to serious damage.
How to Identify an Abscessed Tooth
An abscessed tooth usually occurs due to extreme tooth decay and manifests as an infection at the root of a tooth or near its base. Such infection causes serious pain in or around the affected area, together with other symptoms such as fever, red, inflamed gums, open gum sores, jaw swelling, toothache, and chronic bad breath.
Impacts of an Abscessed Tooth on Your Health
All bodily infections must be treated promptly, but the risk of an abscessed tooth is magnified by the possibility of the infection spreading to other body parts. If this happens, a lot of consequences can arise. For instance, bacteria can spread to your sinuses, resulting in a sinus infection. Also, when the infection spreads to the brain, through blood vessels, a brain abscess can develop. Sometimes, this can lead to coma. An abscessed tooth can also result in tooth loss due to gum and jawbone damage.
How to Prevent and Treat an Abscessed Tooth
Maintaining good oral health is important to maintain a healthy mouth and avoid having an abscessed tooth. Tooth decay mainly causes abscessed teeth, which means you can keep yourself safe by brushing your teeth at least twice every day, flossing your teeth once every day, and using an antiseptic mouthwash.
But if you ever have an abscessed tooth, you must not delay treatment. You should schedule an appointment with your dentist urgently to prevent the issue from getting worse and causing serious complications. When not treated promptly, the condition can lead to more pain and require more complicated treatment.
