What Causes A Tooth Infection
The primary cause of a tooth infection is dental caries, or tooth decay. Your mouth is full of bacteria all the time, but usually that bacteria doesnt get inside your teeth where it can cause an infection. When decay causes cavities and cracks or holes in your teeth, bacteria can seep into your teeth and cause a tooth infection. An infection can also happen if you have an injury to your tooth that causes a crack or a chip in the tooth. Keeping your teeth strong and healthy through regular brushing and flossing can help prevent decay and infections.
Infection can happen in different parts of the tooth. Sometimes the infection occurs on the side of the tooth if there is an opening there and that can cause the infection to spread to the gums. Pockets of pus called abscesses can form around the infection that will need to be drained by the dentist for the infection to go away.
Signs And Symptoms Of An Infected Tooth
You may have an infected or abscessed tooth if youre experiencing any of the following symptoms:
- Painful throbbing in your tooth, jawbone or near your neck
- Sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures
- Sensitivity to the pressure
- Swollen lymph nodes under your jaw or neck
- A salty fluid taste in your mouth
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing
Contact your dentist if you think you may have an infection, and consider the below home remedies to soothe your symptoms until then.
How To Get Antibiotics From The Emergency Department
If you have a severe tooth abscess and it is in the middle of the night, your only option to get antibiotics may be at the emergency department. Your dentist, physician, and urgent care centers are probably all closed if it is extremely late at night.
Find the nearest emergency department.
Travel there and check yourself in.
Brace yourself for a long wait. You may have to spend 4-12 hours there just to get some antibiotics.
Get your prescription and go pick up the medication.
One perk is that if they do have a dentist on staff, they may be able to see you. However, most emergency departments do NOT have dental equipment there so the dentist will not be able to treat the abscess directly. The most that they can do for you is to provide you with antibiotics. You will need to follow up with a dentist to get it permanently treated.
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How Soon Will It Start Working
Once you start taking clindamycin, youll likely notice an improvement in your symptoms after a day or two. If your symptoms arent improving at all or seem to be getting worse after taking clindamycin for a few days, follow up with your healthcare provider.
important
Make sure you take the full course of antibiotics as prescribed by your doctor, even if you start to feel better before finishing them. Otherwise, you may not kill all of the bacteria, which can lead to recurring infections and antibiotic resistance.
Allergic reactions to clindamycin are rare. If you develop any kind of rash while taking clindamycin, contact your healthcare provider this may be a sign of a drug allergy.
In rare cases, its possible to have a potentially life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis.
Symptoms typically appear within 30 minutes of taking a drug and can include:
- itchy hives and welts
- swollen throat, which can cause wheezing and trouble with breathing or swallowing
- chest tightness
- feelings of doom
While the risk of having an anaphylactic reaction to clindamycin is low, its important to know how to recognize the signs. Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment.
Taking clindamycin can cause a range of side effects, including:
- nausea or vomiting
- loss of appetite
Symptoms of C. diff to watch for include:
- watery diarrhea up to 15 times per day that may contain blood or pus
- severe abdominal pain
Can An Abscessed Tooth Be Prevented
You can reduce the risk of developing a tooth abscess by seeing your dentist routinely and getting regular dental exams and cleanings. Its also important to see your dentist if a tooth becomes loose or chipped. Oral hygiene is very important for dental health. At home, brush teeth twice a day and floss once a day.
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Can A Tooth Abscess Be Prevented
Practising good dental care can reduce your risk of a tooth abscess. This includes:
- brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste
- using floss or an interdental brush daily
- avoiding having too much sugary food and drinks, and limiting them to mealtimes where possible
- visiting your dentist regularly for check-ups and cleaning
- cutting down on sugary foods and drinks
Can Infected Tooth Make You Sick
Can an Infected Tooth Make You Sick? Poor oral hygiene and neglected dental care allow the harmful bacteria in your mouth to cause infections. Eventually, an untreated tooth infection can make you sick. If left untreated, a dental abscess can have serious consequences on your oral health and entire body.
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Bacteria And Tooth Decay
To understand why your dentist might prescribe antibiotics for a toothache, you must first understand how bacteria contribute to tooth decay and toothaches. Without regular, twice-daily brushing with proper technique, the bacteria in your mouth can grow and turn the foods you eat into plaque and tartar that then gets deposited on your teeth. This promotes cavity formation and tooth decay.
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When And How Are Mesiodens Diagnosed
Mesiodens are typically found during early childhood. In fact, theyre often detected during routine dental examinations and X-rays.
Mesiodens are typically associated with adult teeth instead of baby teeth. As such, they may often, but not always, be observed around the time that these teeth are coming in. This can begin as early as age 6.
A mesiodens thats erupted into the mouth can be detected by a dentist during a dental examination. You may even notice it on your own, prompting a visit to the dentist.
However, about 79 to 91 percent of mesiodens remain impacted. Some signs that an impacted mesiodens may be present include crowding, misalignment of teeth, and delayed eruption of surrounding teeth.
When a mesiodens is impacted, it can be found through use of dental X-rays. Your dentist may collect X-ray images from several different angles to diagnose a mesiodens.
Management of mesiodens typically involves extraction. However, in some situations, such as if a mesiodens is a baby tooth and isnt causing complications, a dentist may recommend watching it instead.
During an extraction, your dentist will carefully remove the mesiodens. There are two types of extraction:
Generally speaking, extraction is carried out shortly after diagnosis rather than waiting until a child is older. This is to prevent the mesiodens from causing future complications with surrounding teeth.
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Herbal Tea Or Fenugreek
Herbal teas or medicinal grade teas contain high concentrations of these herbs and enhance their anti-inflammatory and healing properties. Additionally, there is the Fenugreek tea commonly known to alleviate symptoms of dental infection. Another tea is the so-called goldenseal associated with turmeric and has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antibiotic properties that could be managed in a dental infection.
What To Do If You Have A Mesiodens As An Adult
Most of the time, mesiodens are detected and treated during childhood. However, it may be possible that a mesiodens remains diagnosed or untreated into adulthood.
If you cant see the mesiodens in your mouth, you may be able to identify it if your front teeth have:
- grown in at an abnormal angle or position
- a noticeable gap between them
- not grown in at all
If you suspect that you may have a mesiodens, make an appointment with a dentist. They can perform a dental examination and X-rays to help determine whether a mesiodens is present.
Because mesiodens are typically diagnosed and treated at an earlier age, its possible that you may need more extensive dental or orthodontic procedures to help correct any dental issues that have occurred due to a mesiodens.
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Antibiotic Prophylaxis For Dental Work
Your dentist may prescribe preventative antibiotics for certain dental services or before the treatment of your dental infection this is called antibiotic prophylaxis.
During certain dental treatments, the bacteria that reside in your mouth may enter the bloodstream, and prophylactic antibiotics can prevent infection.
How To Prevent Tooth Infections
For tooth infection prevention, the key is to have lifestyle practices that promote good oral health hygiene. Effective practices include:
- Regularly brush teeth with protective toothpaste. Brushing your teeth 2 3 times a day helps keep the mouth environment clean.
- According to the American Dental Association, regular visits to your dentist are important for the prevention and early detection of mouth ailments.
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Antibiotics For Tooth Abscess Complication
A deep neck infection is a dangerous complication of tooth infection when it spreads into the space between neck muscles. An abscess forms inside the neck. The abscess may swell and block breathing or swallowing.
Deep neck infections are treated in the hospital with an intravenous antibiotic along with opening the space in the neck to drain the abscess. For this type of infection, the best antibiotic may be amoxicillin with clavulanate through an IV.
The antibiotic for a deep neck infection may change if a lab culture shows that bacteria are more sensitive to another antibiotic .
When You Dont Like The Dentist
Youre not alone in being uncomfortable with the dentist. Rather than avoid the dentist, which can severely sabotage your oral health, I suggest you try a dentist who offers dental sedation. This allows you to get a anxiety-free/pain-free experience in the dental chair. In fact, with oral conscious sedation, most patients just sleep through their appointment. It has changed many lives.
Be aware, while pain in a tooth often means a tooth infection, it can also mean you have a cracked tooth that needs to be crowned. The point is get to a dentist find out the real problem.
This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.
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Problem Wisdom Teeth Are Best Removed Early
Wisdom teeth dont usually cause any pain until they start to do damage, so it is best to find out if your wisdom teeth are likely to cause problems sooner rather than later. The roots of wisdom teeth are still forming when you are a teenager, so it is easier to take them out at this age. It may be more complicated if you wait until later in life, when the roots are fully formed.
What Is A Dental Abscess
An abscess is a pocket of pus that forms within body tissues. Abscesses are the result of an infection, generally bacterial, localized in the area where the abscess forms. They are almost always accompanied by swelling and inflammation. Dental abscesses are abscesses affecting the teeth and adjacent jaw tissue.
Each tooth is made up of several layers. The outermost layer is the enamel, which covers a softer layer, the dentin. The dentin and enamel are the toothâs protective layers. Underneath the dentin is the pulp, where the toothâs nerves and blood vessels are situated. The pulp runs down the center of the root of the tooth, which connects the tooth to the underlying bone of the upper or lower jaw. Infections in the pulp can therefore easily spread into the bone of the jaw. Likewise, if the gum around the tooth becomes infected, the tooth is at risk of damage as well. Some abscesses affect the pulp first and spread to the bone, while others affect the surrounding tissues of the gum and do not start in the pulp.
Treatment for dental abscesses involves draining the pus from the tooth and filling or removing the tooth to prevent re-infection.
There are two major subtypes of dental abscess: periapical and periodontal.
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Who Needs Antibiotics Before Dental Work
Most patients don’t require antibiotics before dental work. Immune systems are more than capable of handling these bacteria, but there are some people who may need antibiotics after oral surgery. This may include those have had or have:
- Heart conditions, including congenital heart defects and disease
- An artificial heart valve
- Knee or hip replacement surgery
- Infective endocarditis
Always make sure to share your full medical history with your doctor before surgery or dental work, even if you think it’s not relevant, so they know if they need to prescribe antibiotics before or after dental work.
Which Antibiotics Work Best For Tooth Infections:
To reach a conclusion we first need to understand a few things.
Firstly, the severity of a tooth infections depends on the individual, and it needs to be addressed by your dentist. When you go for the check-up, make sure that you get to know about the type of abscess/infection you are suffering from. Which antibiotic to use depends upon the final diagnosis. It is critical to analyze which antibiotic will suit a particular infection. Also, misuse of antibiotics can put a patient to risk. Drug resistance by a particular bacteria is a major drawback. Therefore, analyzing the diagnosis and prescribing the antibiotic accordingly is the first step.
Some indications for the dosage of different antibiotics are as follows:
Doxycycline 100 mg once daily. It is the lowest dosage of all antibiotics.
Amoxycillin 500 mg thrice daily.
Penicillin VK 300-600 mg four times/day.
Cephalexin 250-500 mg four times/day.
Erythromycin 250-500 mg four times/day.
Metronidazole 250-500 mg thrice/day.
Tetracycline 250-500 mg four times/day.
Clindamycin 150-300 mg four times/day.
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What Should You Do If You Miss A Dose
If you miss a dose of tablets or suspension in less than 6 hours, take it immediately when you remember. Take the other doses to the scheduled time. If you miss the dose by more than 6 hours, skip the dose and take the next dose at the right time.
If you miss the dose of the Extended-release tablet, take it as soon as you remember. Do not take a double dose to cover up for the missed one.
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Antibiotic Coverage During The Endodontic Procedure
The most conventional therapy in case of dental abscess requires two different procedures. First the dentist has to drain the bump to allow the pus to come out. To do that, your doctor will puncture the boil containing the yellowish fluid and press it gently to get it all out. As soon as the pus starts to exit, you will feel immediately.
The second step has the scope to remove all the infected material from within the dental element. The clinician will use surgical instruments like files and reamers to clean and shape the root canal. At this point, antibiotics for abscess avoid that additional bacteria contaminate the surgical area.
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Are There Any Over
You should always see your dentist if you have a tooth infection. Your teeth are very close to your brain and a tooth infection can quickly spread to nearby areas and organs.
Antibiotics arent available without a prescription, but there are a few things you can do at home for relief before your appointment, such as:
- taking over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen
- gently rinsing your mouth with warm salt water
- avoiding hot or cold foods whenever possible
- trying to chew with the opposite side of your mouth
- brushing with a soft toothbrush around the affected tooth
Interference With Other Teeth
One of the main complications of mesiodens is interference with surrounding teeth. This can happen in a variety of different ways, including:
- delayed eruption of surrounding teeth
- displacement of surrounding teeth
- increased crowding in the area of the mesiodens
- misalignment of teeth or problems with bite
- formation of a diastema, or space, between your two front teeth
- dilaceration of surrounding teeth, which is where the root or crown of a tooth has an abnormal bend
- root resorption of surrounding teeth, which is where the root structure of the tooth is dissolved
Interference of a mesiodens with surrounding teeth can lead to the necessity of future dental or orthodontic treatments. Thats why its important to identify and treat a mesiodens as early as possible.
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What Is The Best Medication For A Dental Abscess
Drug treatment for dental abscess focuses on eliminating the infection or relieving pain. Antibiotics for tooth infections are tailored to the type of bacteria causing the infection. Over-the-counter or prescription NSAIDs can adequately manage pain both before and after treatment.
Best medications for dental abscesses | |
---|---|
Drug Name | |
2 tablets every 4 hours PRN | Stomach pain, stomach upset, dizziness, heart disease, kidney failure |
Many of the standard dosages above are from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration . Dosage is determined by your healthcare provider based on your medical condition, response to treatment, age, and weight. Other possible side effects exist. This is not a complete list.
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.
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