Treatment of Dental abscess

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In order to treat a tooth with an abscess your dentist will drain the abscess to release the pressure and relieve pain. You should see a dentist as soon as possible if you think you have an abscess.

In certain cases you might need antibiotics to control the infection, for example if the dentist is unable to drain the abscess. It may be necessary for you to take painkillers for about 24 hours to give the antibiotics time to work.

The dentist will usually wish to see you about a week later. Although the pain will have gone away it is essential to have further treatment to prevent the abscess coming back.

Removing the affected tooth will always solve the problem. However, it is important to keep as many teeth in your mouth as possible and your dentist is likely to try to save the tooth by drilling into the abscess and releasing the pus. A root filling is then placed in the tooth to block off the pulp chamber and nerve canal and stop the infection returning. This process is known as root canal treatment or endodontics. The tooth can then be restored with a normal filling or crown.