Dental Implant Infection Treatment
The quicker you catch and treat an infection, the higher your chances of success will be. Once a complete examination, including X-rays, has been conducted by your dentist, theyll be able to acknowledge how severe the infection is as well as any instability in the implant.
The most common treatment for dental implant infection is antibiotics. Depending on the severity of the infection, your dentist may recommend taking oral or intravenous antibiotics. You should always finish the entire course of antibiotics prescribed to you by your doctor.
In some severe infection cases, surgical intervention may be necessary to address a dental implant infection. These treatment procedures may include the following:
Relieving Pain From Dental Abscesses
A Dental abscess and periodontal abscess can be very painful. There are a few things that you can do at home to help relieve your pain until you can see your dentist.
Rinse your mouth with warm salt water. This will help to reduce swelling and pain.
Take over-the-counter pain medication, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
Apply a cold compress to the outside of your face. This will help to reduce swelling.
If you have a toothache, it is best to see your dentist as soon as possible so that they can determine the cause of the pain and provide proper treatment. A Tooth abscess and jaw bone infection can lead to severe complications if left untreated.
Infected Dental Implants Diagnosis
Your dentist can diagnose an infected dental implant by performing a full oral examination and assessing your medical history. They may also take X-rays or other imaging tests to determine the extent of the infection.
Once the infection is diagnosed, its important to begin treatment right away. Depending on the severity, this could involve antibiotic therapy, oral surgery, or a combination of both.
While having dental implants, its still crucial that you visit the dentist every six months for a checkup. These regular appointments allow your dentist not only to examine your natural teeth but also to monitor your implant sites for any inflammation, infection or instability. If any concerning issues are found, quick treatment can save you from complications.
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Tooth Infection Medical Treatment
If you have an abscessed tooth, your dentist may recommend one of the following treatments, depending on how serious the abscess is:
- If you have a simple abscess, your dentist, or a specialist called an endodontist, can do a root canal to get rid of the infection and hopefully save the tooth.
- If the abscess is large, it may need to be drained first before a root canal is done. Your dentist or endodontist will make a small cut in the gum to let the pus out and then rinse the area with saline . They also may put in a small rubber drain to keep the area open and draining while the swelling goes down.
- After the tooth is sealed back up, your dentist can then put on a cap, or crown, as a top layer to protect the tooth and make sure you donât get another abscess.
- If your tooth canât be saved, your dentist might need to pull it, then drain the abscess to get rid of the infection.
Your dentist also might give you antibiotics to make sure the infection doesnât spread to other teeth or other parts of your body. The most common ones used for an abscess include:
How much you take and for how long will depend on the type of antibiotic and your specific situation. But itâs always important to take them exactly as your doctor prescribes.
The Tooth Infection Is Drained
It may be necessary in some cases to drain the pus directly from the site of infection. Drainage to remove the pus from an abscess at the back of the mouth may happen at your dentist office .
Even though most tooth infections can be easily treated, treatment should never be delayed. Untreated tooth infections can cause the tooth infection to spread to other parts of the body. If a tooth infection spreads, it could become life threatening. Therefore, if you suspect that you have a tooth infection, seek immediate dental treatment. The most effective way to prevent a tooth infection is to have good oral health care. Limit your sugar intake, brush your teeth and floss twice daily, and have good dental care habits by visiting yourdentist for regular cleanings and exams.
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How Is An Abscessed Tooth Diagnosed
In addition to examining the tooth and surrounding tissue for signs of infection, your dentist may:
- Recommend an X-ray. This can help identify sources of dental disease that may have led to the infection. Your dentist can also use X-rays to determine if the infection has spread and may be affecting other areas.
- Recommend a CT scan. If the infection has spread to other areas within the neck, this will help to identify the extent of the infection.
- Tap and press on your teeth. A tooth with an abscess is often sensitive to touch or pressure.
- Thermal tests. These tests will help your dentist determine the health of your pulpal tissues.
What Causes Infection In The Jaw Bone
There are a few different things that can cause infection in the jaw bone from a tooth. One of the most common causes is an infection in the tooth itself. If you have an infection in your tooth, it can spread to the surrounding tissues and eventually to the jawbone.
Another common cause of infection in the jaw bone is periodontal disease. This is a condition that affects the gums and bones around teeth. If you have periodontal disease, it is important to see a dentist so that they can treat it before it leads to infection in the jaw bone.
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Healing After Abscess Procedure
No matter how your dental abscess is treated, you can protect your mouth as it heals, and help prevent future tooth decay by following a regular oral hygiene routine that includes twice-daily tooth brushing and daily flossing. Crest and Oral-B have products that can maintain your dental health. These products include:
Toothpaste:
Crest Pro-Health Gum Restore Deep Clean Toothpaste can help patients see healthier gums in 7 days by treating gingivitis.
Soft Floss:
Flossing your teeth might sound like a painful prospect after treatment for a dental abscess, but flossing is an important part of your oral care routine. Oral-B Glide Comfort Plus Floss is twice as soft as Glide Original Floss and is designed to be gentle on sensitive teeth.
Comfortable Brush:
The Oral-B Pro-Health All-in-One Manual Toothbrush soft bristles remove up to 90 percent of plaque in hard-to-reach areas to help keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Eating Too Much Sugar
Sugar feeds harmful bacteria in your mouth. As they consume the sugar, they produce an acidic waste that damages your tooths enamel. Since the enamel protects the tooth, when it is compromised you can develop an infection. If you have a sweet tooth, you can mitigate the damage with extra brushing after eating sweets and by avoiding sticky candies that stay on your teeth a long time.
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Take Your Medication As Prescribed
The most important thing you can do to prevent and treat infection after a tooth extraction is to take your medication as prescribed by your dentist or oral surgeon. This may include antibiotics, painkillers, anti-inflammatories, or other medications. Make sure you take all medications exactly as directed for the full course of treatment to maximize their effectiveness. If you have questions about your medicine, dont hesitate to ask your dental team for clarification.
When To See A Doctor
Don’t wait until your dental abscess ruptures to seek treatment. Visit the doctor promptly to prevent the spread of the infection.
Common symptoms of a dental infection that requires urgent treatment include:
- Noticeable pimple under the gums
- Swelling and inflammation near the affected tooth
- Bad taste in the mouth
- A severe, throbbing toothache that doesnt resolve
- Swollen and painful lymph nodes in the neck
- Pain when chewing or biting down
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Deterrence And Patient Education
Patients should receive counseling on proper dental hygiene to prevent dental infections. Educating patients and the public on the importance of daily toothbrushing, flossing, and reduction of sugar-containing foods can reduce dental cavities. A dentist should assess patients that are experiencing dentalgia.
How To Reduce Risks Of Dental Infection With Preventative Dental Care
The good news is that most infections are completely avoidable. The first two categories are related to either acute accidents or long-term dental complacency. The first of these categories generally cannot be avoided, such as you get a popcorn kernel stuck in between two teeth.
The second can easily be avoided through seeking out regular routine dental care and following through on dental treatment recommendations. Most of these infections are caused by untreated tooth decay. Left untreated the decay slowly grows in a tooth until it reaches the nerve of the tooth. Once decay has reached the nerve, bacteria have now infected the nerve system of that root. Left unchecked this will ultimately result in a dead nerve, infection, and pain originating in that tooth.
Untreated decay happens if you become lax in seeing your dentist resulting in small cavities not being discovered through x-ray and exam. Alternatively, since a tooth with early decay is not typically painful you may be putting off treatment since it is not urgent. But addressing decay when it is small typically is more comfortable, cheaper, and requires less time to address the issue. No one wants to have pain or infection associated with their teeth, addressing issues when they develop is the most reliable way to prevent this from happening. Dental fears are less likely to mount with preventive dental care and early treatment if any concern of an infection comes up.
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Contact Park 56 Dental Today
Wisdom teeth infections can be painful and dangerous if left untreated. It is important to practice good oral hygiene and see your dentist regularly in order prevent them. Be sure see your doctor right away if any of the following symptoms: pain, swelling, redness, difficulty opening your mouth, bad breath, foul taste in mouth, or fever. These could be signs of an underlying problem requiring immediate medical attention.
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned in this blog post, please contact Park 56 Dental as soon as possible. We can help you get the treatment you need to avoid an infection and keep your smile healthy and beautiful.
Can A Tooth Infection Spread To Other Parts Of The Body
Since each tooth has a nerve and blood supply in the innermost layer, an untreated infection will continue to spread until it reaches the nerve. Once it reaches the nerve and blood supply, the infection can continue to spread through blood vessels.
Two common and serious ways the infection can spread are to the heart and to the brain . This is a major reason of why its so important to see your dental professional as soon as you suspect a tooth infection.
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Infection After Dental Work
From cleaning to root canals, dental work may cause bleeding and an opening where bacteria can enter the body. While dentists, hygienists, and dental assistants work to keep everything as clean as possible as they do their work, sometimes infections do develop, just as sometimes they do after surgery on another part of the body.
The American Dental Association recommends that certain people receive prophylactic or preventative antibiotics before dental work is done. These people have certain heart conditions that could make them more prone to developing a condition called infective endocarditis. Some people with artificial joints may need prophylactic antibiotics before dental work. If you have an artificial joint, speak with your doctor before you need dental work to see if this is recommended for you.
Here are some of the most common dental procedures.
Tooth extractions
Dentists try to avoid pulling teeth , but sometimes it is the only option. Endodontic procedures are preferable to extraction when possible.
Some reasons for having a tooth extracted are:
- Too much damage to the pulp from infection or decay.
- Infection that remains, even after treatment with antibiotics.
- Loose teeth from gum disease .
- Crowded mouth before orthodontics .
- Teeth that cannot be restored with a dental crown or restoration.
Tooth fillings
Root canals
Your dentist may suggest a root canal done for badly decayed or infected teeth before the more drastic step of extracting the tooth.
Some Natural Remedies Can Help You Control Tooth Pain And Help Stop Tooth Infections From Getting Worse
The only way to truly get rid of an infection is with antibiotics. However, home remedies for tooth infection can help manage the symptoms and alleviate some of the pain. If you have a tooth infection you need to see a dentist to assess whether or not you need a root canal and to get prescription antibiotics to make sure that the infection goes away and doesnt cause any more pain or damage to your teeth.
There are some natural remedies that you can use to both help control the pain and help stop the infection from getting worse or spreading while you wait for the infection to die off. Not all of these remedies will work for every person but if youre in pain from an infected tooth they can bring you some relief.
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Ways Prevent Tooth Infections
Tooth infections are painful. In many cases, they can cause the need to alter our daily lifestyle to deal with the pain, including limiting what and how much we can eat and our ability to think clearly in critical moments. Due to this, it is essential to try and prevent tooth infections from ever occurring in the first place.
Take These Steps Immediately If Your Tooth Is Infected
A tooth infection or abscess can spread the surrounding bone and gum tissue, and the pain can become more severe. If you are experiencing signs of an infected tooth, you should see your dentist as soon as possible. Though treatment is necessary to resolve the issue, you can take steps to manage your pain until then.
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How A Dentist Will Treat A Tooth Infection
Once a dentist has determined that you have an infection, the dentist can work to treat the infection, clear out any abscesses that have formed, and assess the damage. You will usually be given a prescription for antibiotics too. If there are abscesses in the tooth or in the gums near the tooth the dentist will go in and clean those pockets out to get rid of the bacteria. Often that can provide immediate relief from the pain of an infected tooth. The dentist will also check your teeth to see if you will need a root canal in order to save the tooth.
Things That Increase Your Chances Of Dental Problems
The final class of dental infections involves infections following dental surgeries. Same as the scenario above, you can prevent infections, or minimize your risk with simple steps. The most common procedure when infections can occur is after tooth extractions. As with any surgical procedure, infection is always a risk, even with the most skilled technique an infection can still happen. But with your help after the surgery, the risk of infection can be lowered. An infection isnt actually likely in a person with a healthy immune system who is healing after oral surgery.
Your body can usually successfully battle any infection that may try to set in and heal the extraction site without incident. There are some habits or instances where extra precautions may be needed to prevent a dental oral infection and orthodontic emergencies. If an infection was present prior to the tooth being pulled, you may be prescribed an antibiotic to help fight the infection as a preventive measure. If you have some immuno-system compromise you may also need an antibiotic to help prevent dental infection. Habits such as smoking, excessive alcohol use, smokeless tobacco, or poor post-surgery hygiene, and site cleaning can all increase your chance of an infection.
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Treatments For A Dental Abscess
Dental abscesses are treated by removing the source of the infection and draining away the pus.
Depending on the location of the abscess and how severe the infection is, possible treatments include:
- removing the affected tooth this may be necessary if root canal treatment isn’t possible
- root canal treatment a procedure to remove the abscess from the root of an affected tooth before filling and sealing it
- incision and drainage where a small cut is made in the gum to drain the abscess
Local anaesthetic will usually be used to numb your mouth for these procedures. More extensive operations may be carried out under general anaesthetic .
Antibiotics aren’t routinely prescribed for dental abscesses, but may be used if the infection spreads or is particularly severe.
Take Your Medication As Instructed
You may be prescribed a combination of antibiotics and painkillers after the procedure is over. The duration for which the medication is advised to be taken will vary depending upon the kind of infection that was present before the procedure as well as the invasiveness of the surgery .
The most important thing to do as a patient is to ensure that the medication is taken as instructed and not left incomplete in the middle. This allows the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria which can cause a serious infection.
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