What Is a Dental Abscess?

How a root canal from your dentist in Newport News, VA, can help heal your smile

Dental abscesses can be excruciating, and they can also be dangerous. A dental abscess is an infected tooth, and it can be dangerous if the infection spreads to other areas in your face or head. There is a remedy for a dental abscess; it’s called root canal therapy, and your dentist is an expert.

Dr. Mark Artzer in Newport News, VA, provides comprehensive dental care options and services, including root canal treatment for a dental abscess, to help heal your smile.

There are many things that can cause a dental abscess, including:

• Trauma or damage to a tooth
• Severe decay which has spread to the inside of your tooth
• A periodontal disease which involves the root of your tooth

Whatever has caused your dental abscess has resulted in the inner layer of your tooth, known as the pulp chamber, becoming infected or abscessed. The nerves and blood supply for your tooth are in the pulp chamber.

As the infection becomes more severe, inflammation and fluid build-up inside your tooth, causing pressure. This pressure can become severe, and cause extreme pain.

In addition to the extreme pain, you may notice a white or red swelling appearing on your gums next to the root of the painful tooth. The bump may drain either blood or pus.

Root canal treatment relieves pressure and pain by removing the infected pulp tissue. A sedative material is placed inside your tooth to dry up the fluid and relieve the pressure. After the painful symptoms have subsided, the sedative material is removed and replaced with an inert material that is left inside your tooth.

Root canal treatment is the key to relieving a dental abscess without removing your tooth and ruining your smile. To learn more about the signs, symptoms, and treatment of a dental abscess, including root canal therapy, call Dr. Mark Artzer in Newport News, VA, at (757) 595-8405. Call today, and help heal your smile!