How To Prevent An Abscessed Tooth Article

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How to Prevent an Abscessed Tooth

A well-known dentist at Hillcrest Family Dental Care in San Diego, Dr. A. Gerald Michels handles everything from Invisalign to root canals and wisdom teeth removals for patients of all ages.

Author: A Gerald Michels

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According to Dr. Michels, an abscessed tooth is usually one that has been decayed by bacteria. As a result, anyone with an abscessed tooth is most likely in a great deal of pain, which is why it’s important to prevent abscessed teeth.

The Cause
In general, this basic type of abscessed tooth is caused when bacteria from decay gets into the nerve of the tooth and the chamber where the nerves reside. When this type of bacteria gets into the chamber in the tooth, which has blood vessels in it, it can destroy both the nerve and the blood vessels. Finally, those nerves and blood vessels that have died as the result of this bacteria and decay will begin to rot, and this is where the real trouble begins.

The rotting nerves and blood vessels in the tooth will unfortunately create a gaseous pressure in the bone. As everyone knows, bones are very hard. So when this gaseous pressure presses outward, that causes the abscess to press on the bone and creates intense pain for people suffering with this problem.

Root Canals
Tooth decay will only get worse if it is left untreated. If you have an abscessed tooth, then the main course of action is to do a root canal. As a dentist who handles everything from Invisalign to general dentistry issues for patients in San Diego, I frequently do root canals on patients with one or more abscessed teeth.

Doing a root canal procedure involves removing the nerve and the blood vessels that are rotting in the abscessed teeth, and cleaning out the space where they once sat. In order to make sure that all of the nerve and blood vessels are gone, the dentist will have to use “little files” in order to get every last piece of rotting nerves and the blood vessels out of the tooth. After that, the dentist has to fill up the nerve chamber and the canals with a sterile material.

In fact, abscessed teeth are as common as root canals. Given that more than 15 million root canals are performed each year, according to the American Association of Endodontists, that makes abscessed teeth quite common. If you allow the decay to get into the nerve chamber, then that is what is going to happen.

Prevention
In my experience, one of the many issues that can make preventing and diagnosing abscesses in the teeth especially difficult is that there are some people who are genetically more prone to having abscesses in their teeth than others, no matter how well they take care of their mouths and practice oral hygiene. Anyone who is genetically more prone to decay is more likely to get an abscessed tooth at some point in his lifetime.

Fortunately, there are a number of ways to prevent abscessed teeth. Brushing and flossing regularly go without saying, but just as important as those basic hygiene elements is making sure that everyone makes regular visits to the dentist for semi-annual checkups and cleanings.

To avoid suffering through the pain and agony of having an abscessed tooth, I recommend getting in contact with a local dentist and continuing to make regular appointments. In fact, going to the dentist regularly is the best way to catch small cavities and decay issues while they are still minor and easy to treat. Small cavities start out small, and then they get big. Catch them early and it is a small problem, but catch them late and it is a big problem.

In San Diego, we handle everything from Invisalign to basic dentistry needs at Hillcrest Family Dental Care, and we are always open to speaking with people who are concerned about their oral health or other dental issues.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.

About Author

A. Gerald Michels is a writer for Yodle Dental Marketing, a business directory and online advertising company. Find a dentist or more related articles at Yodle’s Guide to Dentistry.

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How to Prevent an Abscessed Tooth