An abscessed tooth needs professional dental services as soon as possible. An abscess can cause a lot of pain that makes you miserable, and you don't want to put up with it for long. Plus, the infection can grow and spread to your bone or other parts of your body. It's best to call your dentist when you have a toothache so the problem can be fixed. Here are some dental services you may need for an abscessed tooth.
An Examination
The examination may require an X-ray so the dentist can tell what's going on with your tooth. The X-ray plus the visual exam verifies your tooth has an abscess and lets the dentist know how bad the cavity is and how it needs to be handled. Your dentist might give you a prescription for antibiotics and a few pain pills to help with the pain so the infection can clear up before work on your tooth is done.
A Root Canal
An abscessed tooth is treated by doing a root canal. If for some reason you don't want a root canal or you can't afford it, the alternative is to pull the tooth. However, your dentist may try to avoid that option so your tooth can be saved. The root canal involves numbing the tooth and then drilling to open a tunnel the dentist can work through to clear the infection out of the tooth root.
The tooth is then sealed and a temporary crown might be put on your tooth to protect it until the cavity can be treated. Sometimes a simple filling is enough, but many times, the cavity is too large and a crown has to be put on.
The crown has to be made in a lab after the dentist makes impressions of your teeth, so the permanent crown isn't put on right away. The dentist can make a temporary crown in the office, and it lasts long enough to protect your tooth until the permanent crown is ready.
A Crown
The final dental service you'll need is to put on the permanent crown. You can choose the type of crown material you want. You might choose gold if you find it attractive. However, you might want white porcelain since it blends in well with your other teeth and doesn't look artificial.
When the crown is ready to put on, you'll go back to the dentist and have it fixed in place with dental cement. The dentist might need to file down sharp edges, but once the crown is in place, it's like having a healthy natural tooth again. You can chew on it normally, and you'll need to brush and floss around it.
For more information on dental services, contact a professional near you.
Share7 July 2023
The average dentist takes many client appointments each day and also deals with emergency situations on a regular basis. Dental emergencies are very common because people are likely to put off having tooth pain fixed until the pain becomes unbearable. Some people have anxiety about dental visits, and others are trying to avoid the expense of dental care. In either case, the end result is often a dental emergency. I have worked as a professional dental hygienist for many years and have seen all types of dental emergencies. I hope that this blog will help people identify potential emergencies before they become too serious and will allow people to know when to get help.
