Abscessed Tooth Dental Emergency

A tooth abscess is a serious dental condition that demands prompt action. Learn more about symptoms, causes and when to seek emergency care that can help you to protect your oral health and avoid life-threatening complications.

What Is a Tooth Abscess?

A tooth abscess is a pocket of pus deriving from a bacterial infection in your mouth. This infection can impact the teeth, gums or bone supporting your teeth.

Abscesses appear as red, swollen bumps — similar in appearance to pimples or boils — on the gums, and they develop when bacteria move into the tooth’s inner pulp or the gum tissue. Abscesses cause pain and require professional treatment to heal.

Common Causes of a Tooth Abscess

Vulnerable teeth are the top cause of tooth abscesses. Whether you have an untreated cavity or a chipped tooth, bacteria can filter through weakened areas of your teeth.

Additionally, poor oral hygiene and diets high in sugar and acidity drastically increase your risk of developing an abscessed tooth.

Symptoms of a Tooth Abscess

The pain of a tooth abscess is persistent and uncomfortable. Symptoms may include a throbbing pain in your jawbone, ear or neck. You might also find that the tooth nearest the infected area is sensitive to hot and cold temperatures.

Other symptoms include swelling of the face, fever, bad breath and pus drainage.

When a Tooth Abscess Becomes a Dental Emergency

While all tooth abscesses require dental treatment, certain symptoms indicate you need emergency care immediately. You should seek urgent dental attention if you experience excruciating pain that does not respond to over-the-counter pain medications, visible pus or bleeding from the tooth or surrounding gums, severe facial swelling, high fever or difficulty breathing or swallowing.

All of these symptoms can signal that the infection is spreading beyond the tooth, which can lead to serious health complications.

Choosing Inspire Dental Wellness As Your Emergency Dentist for an Abscessed Tooth

Having your abscess treated will relieve your discomfort and save your oral health. If you are suffering from severe mouth pain and need medical assistance, Inspire Dental Wellness is here to provide professional care.

When you contact our team, we make sure you feel like a priority. Our first step is to make every effort to see you within 24 hours of your message. Once an appointment is scheduled, we can meet one-on-one and learn more about the pain you are experiencing.

We know how difficult it can be to access affordable dental care. As your emergency dentist, we accept payment plans to simplify the process so that dental services are accessible to you.

Our payment options include:

CareCredit cards
Cash and credit cards
Checks
Dental insurance

We also treat abscessed teeth as part of our pediatric care services.

Seek an Emergency Dentist for an Abscessed Tooth in Chicago

If you are experiencing severe oral pain from a tooth abscess, do not wait to have it examined. Our office is located at 14512 John Humphrey Dr. in Orland Park, IL, and our team is here to work with you so that you can live pain free.