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By Melissa Tennen, HealthAtoZ writer
That pain in your tooth may be "killing" you. Fact is, if it's an abscessed tooth that is never treated, you really could die from it.
An abscessed tooth is caused by a bacterial infection in the tissues surrounding the tooth. At first, it may feel like a severe toothache. Then suddenly it may seem like the toothache has suddenly gone away.
An abscessed tooth actually means pus (a group of white blood cells, dead cells and dead tissue that collects at the site of bacterial infections) has formed in the tooth. The infection may go into the gums and loosen the tooth. A boil may form and then burst. When this happens, the pain may seem to go away. This does not mean you don't need to see your dentist. If the abscess doesn't drain, the infection can spread to your head and neck and can be deadly.
Your mouth contains large numbers of bacteria. You may be more vulnerable to an infection if you've had tooth decay, which allows bacteria to grow inside the dead tissue. An infection may also take root if you've had some sort of damage to the tooth, which opens the door for bacteria.
A common symptom of an abscessed tooth is a constant throbbing pain in your tooth. The tooth may also be sensitive to hot and cold foods or may hurt when you chew.
If you don't have the tooth examined by the dentist, you could develop an infection elsewhere in your body, such as a brain abscess. The glands in your neck may feel swollen. You may also have a sudden rush of foul-smelling and foul-tasting fluid in your mouth. That means the boil has burst. At this point, the pain may go away, but the infection stays in the body. This can be very dangerous, which is why you should not put off seeing the dentist if you have any kind of tooth pain.
What you can do
- Call the dentist right away whenever you have any kind of tooth pain. If you have an abscessed tooth, it can usually be treated with antibiotics. Your dentist may do a root canal to save your tooth, which involves removing the infected material.
- Take care of your teeth. Brush them twice a day and floss at least once a day.
- See your dentist regularly.
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External Sources
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American Dental Association
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Medline Plus
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This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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