How is an abscessed tooth treated?!
Question: if a tooth has an abscess then that means the tooth has died, there are 2 ways of treating this.....
Firstly the tooth could be extracted, this is the cheaper option however it means you no longer have that tooth, if its a front tooth you will prob want to hang on to it for cosmetic reasons and if its a back tooth then you may also want to hang onto it for chewing purposes.
If you do want to save the tooth then you would have to have Root Canal Treatment, RCT is basically making a hold in the tooth similar to a filling however you go in to where the nerve used to be, the nerve has died and became infected which is why you have abscess, these parts of the tooth are cleaned out (usually takes 2-3 visits) and a permanent filling put in the canals, and a filling on the tooth.
Things to consider are cost of treatment, how many appointments you will require, if you are a nervous patient could you commit to several appointments, once the tooth is extracted its gone forever!! if you opt for the RCT then at least you get to hang onto it for another few years.
Answers: if a tooth has an abscess then that means the tooth has died, there are 2 ways of treating this.....
Firstly the tooth could be extracted, this is the cheaper option however it means you no longer have that tooth, if its a front tooth you will prob want to hang on to it for cosmetic reasons and if its a back tooth then you may also want to hang onto it for chewing purposes.
If you do want to save the tooth then you would have to have Root Canal Treatment, RCT is basically making a hold in the tooth similar to a filling however you go in to where the nerve used to be, the nerve has died and became infected which is why you have abscess, these parts of the tooth are cleaned out (usually takes 2-3 visits) and a permanent filling put in the canals, and a filling on the tooth.
Things to consider are cost of treatment, how many appointments you will require, if you are a nervous patient could you commit to several appointments, once the tooth is extracted its gone forever!! if you opt for the RCT then at least you get to hang onto it for another few years.
Most times they give you antibiotics, and that should work. Other times they give you antibiotics, so they can pull the tooth out.
Root canal
An abscess is a result of your bodies reaction to a bacterial infection. Simply, pus is formed as a byproduct of your bodies natural immune system liquifying bacteria with enzymes. The formation of pus within a well localized area is called an abscess. This is generally treated in three ways depending on the cause. The most common way to treat an abscessed tooth is to extract (pull) it. Endodontic treatment (root canal) is another option if the tooth is salvageable. Finally, if the abscess is periodontal (gums) in origin, then the tooth can be cleaned to remove the offending agent. Kewl stuff. Remember, pus sucks...but don't suck the pus.
The first thing is a round of antibiotics to reduce the infection. This is necessary to be able to treat the tooth at all. If dental work is started without the antibiotics reducing the infection you will not get numb completely or at all. The infection fights off the anesthetic. The next is to decide if the tooth is salvageable or not. If not, it needs to be extracted. If it is, it can be extracted or have a root canal treatment and crown.