The Symptoms and Consequences of Dental Abcesses and Infections
Posted By Glenn Johnston
11-9-2005
A dental abscess is an infection of the face, jaw, throat or mouth that begins as a tooth infection or cavity. Dental abscesses and infections can result from poor personal hygiene or lack of timely dental care.
A common medical malpractice issue in dentistry can result when a dentist fails to prescribe an antibiotic prior to a surgical procedure and an infection results and progresses to an abscess.
Symptoms of Dental Abscesses and Infections
An individual should be aware of the symptoms of a dental abscess in order to alleviate the problem in a timely manner. In addition to extreme pain, redness and swelling, symptoms can include:
- Toothache - continuous, throbbing or shooting pain
- Tooth sensitivity to temperature
- Constant bitter taste in mouth
- Foul breath
- Swollen glands in upper or lower jaw
In severely advanced stages of a neglected infection, symptoms indicating the infection may have spread to the whole body can include:
- Fever
- Nausea and vomiting
- Chills and sweats
- Diarrhea
Causes of a Dental Abscess
An infected tooth is usually the cause of a dental abscess. In fact, a dental abscess is the extension of a bacterial infection from the tooth to other areas of the mouth and the bones of the face and neck. In most cases, pus will collect at the infected area and become increasingly painful.
Remedies for a Dental Abscess
Unless the abscess ruptures on its own, a physician will need to puncture the abscess and let it drain in order to cure the infection. Antibiotics are usually prescribed for the abscess to help fight the infection as well. Pain relievers commonly used to assuage the pain caused by a dental abscess. Physician follow-up visits are crucial after an abscess has been drained to prevent reinfection.
A patient suffering from a dental abscess due to a dentist's negligence in assessing the likelihood of infection and failing to provide the proper antibiotics as a preventative measure before surgery, may have a medical malpractice claim.