Some patients think that if they wait long enough, their problems will go away on their own. While that may work in some cases, it doesn’t really work for dental issues. The longer you leave an oral health problem like an infection or decay, the worse the outcome will be. Eventually, you may end up losing the tooth altogether! If you’re noticing tooth infection symptoms, contact an emergency dentist as soon as possible. The sooner we can treat your smile, the better off your oral health will be. At East Longmeadow Family Dental Center, we help patients identify problems like infections and provide fast and effective solutions that bring pain relief and comfort.
Tooth Infection Symptoms To Look Out For
A tooth infection typically starts small. At first, you may not notice anything, chewing and smiling without trouble.
But as the infection spreads, you may experience significant pain or discomfort. To treat your smile before the infection progresses, watch out for tooth infection symptoms. These issues are clear signs of an infection that you should take seriously.
Tooth pain: An infected tooth is not always painful. But when it is, the pain is often persistent and throbbing.- Temperature sensitivity: Infected teeth also become more sensitive to temperature. Sensitivity usually feels like a sharp pain when eating or drinking something very hot or very cold.
- Gum swelling: Red, puffy, or swollen gums signal infection. Both gum disease and tooth infections cause inflammation.
- Bad breath: Some patients may notice chronic bad breath or bad taste in their mouth. This may indicate infection, as bacteria release a foul odor.
- Fever or fatigue: If you notice a fever, fatigue, or swollen lymph nodes in your neck, those can also be signs of an infection. Reach out to an emergency dentist as soon as possible for treatment. If you can’t get into an emergency dentist, head to the emergency room for issues involving swelling or fever.
Most often, a tooth infection is caused by an untreated cavity. As decay and bacteria spread, they will reach inside your tooth and infect your dental pulp. Eventually, the infection will culminate in a dental abscess (a pocket of pus) at the tip of your tooth root below the gums. These abscesses cause pain and inflammation, and generally will not go away on their own. Only a dental professional can relieve tooth pain and treat a dental abscess to remove all signs of infection.
Relieving Tooth Pain in East Longmeadow, MA
At East Longmeadow Family Dental Center, we offer same-day emergency services whenever possible. We leave openings in our busy schedule specifically for emergency cases, so if you’re noticing symptoms of a tooth infection, call us right away! We’ll do our best to get you in the office and taken care of.
In an emergency, our focus is your safety and comfort. We will do everything we can to relieve pain and remove infections, including:
Abscess drainage: When a dental abscess is causing most of your pain and swelling, we may need to drain it. This involves cutting into the abscess, draining it, and disinfecting the area.- Root canal therapy: Infected pulp causes intense pain and discomfort. Using root canal therapy, we will enter your tooth and remove the infected pulp from your root canal. Then, we’ll flush out the area to remove all signs of bacteria.
- Dental crown treatment: After a root canal, we typically place a dental crown on top of your tooth. These tooth-shaped caps cover vulnerable teeth to keep them functional while also protecting them from reinfection.
- Tooth extraction: If the infection is too severe, we may need to extract your tooth. While we always try to avoid moving natural teeth, sometimes extraction is the best way to keep your smile healthy. And at our office, we offer a variety of ways to replace teeth as well.
The best treatment for you depends on your circumstances. To learn what your treatment will look like, visit our office in East Longmeadow, MA.
Watch for Tooth Infection Symptoms and Care for Your Smile With Us
With a tooth infection, there’s no time to wait. Be sure to watch out for symptoms and to contact an emergency dentist like East Longmeadow Family Dental Center as soon as possible for treatment. We offer same-day emergency services whenever possible to relieve pain and clear your smile of infection. If you’re noticing symptoms of a tooth infection, call us to book an emergency appointment!
Connect with us on Facebook to review our tooth replacement options.
