Killing Tooth Infection

A tooth infection is a complication of tooth decay. It may also result from trauma to the tooth, such as broken tooth or chipped tooth. Openings in the tooth enamel allow bacteria to infect the center of the tooth (the pulp). Tooth infection may spread out from the root of the tooth and to the bones supporting the tooth.

A tooth infection is a complication of tooth decay. It may also result from trauma to the tooth, such as broken tooth or chipped tooth. Openings in the tooth enamel allow bacteria to infect the center of the tooth (the pulp). Tooth infection may spread out from the root of the tooth and to the bones supporting the tooth.

A tooth infection is usually caused by a dead tooth. Everything inside the dead tooth breaks down and liquefies and there is nothing to fight bacterial growth. This mixture of living bacteria and rotten tissue leaks out of the end of the tooth and cause tooth infection.

There are three basic types of tooth infection:

• Infection inside your tooth, in the living pulp tissue
• Tooth infection which occurs in the bone around the end of the tooth (tooth abscess)
• Gum infection. This dental infection occurs in the gum tissue

The most common type of tooth infection is dental abscess, it’s an infection of the mouth, face, jaw, or throat that begins as a tooth infection or cavity. These infections are common in people with poor dental health and result from lack of proper and timely dental care.

One of the first signs that a tooth infection is out of control is the presence of pus. Pus is a thick yellowish white material made up of living and dead bacteria, white blood cells, and dead tissue.

Infection results in a collection of pus (dead tissue, live and dead bacteria, white blood cells) and swelling of the tissues within the tooth. This causes a painful toothache. If the root of the tooth dies, the toothache may stop, unless an abscess develops. This is especially true if the infection remains active and continues to spread and destroy tissue.

Pus can cause a foul taste and foul smell. Most infections cause dental pain but many remain silent and painless for years. You can have this tooth problem without feeling the tooth infection and dental abscess and without a toothache. This why it’s important to see a dentist regularly.

Sinus Infection and Tooth Pain

Tooth infections in upper premolars and molars do have the potential for perforating into the maxillary sinus, although this is somewhat rare. Whether this is a probability often depends on the proximity between the roots of these teeth and the floor of the sinus, which can be determined on x-ray.

What is more common is a difficulty in distinguishing the pain that results from a sinus infection from that resulting from an infected upper tooth, since pain is difficult to localize in the area. Distinguishing the two is important, however, since the treatment of sinus and dental infections is different.

Tooth Infection Care and Treatment

Strategies to eliminate the tooth infection, preserve the tooth, and prevent complications are the goals of tooth abscess treatment.

Your dentist may need to drain the pus from the infected tooth. During this procedure, you’re likely to be given gas or numbing medication to help you relax and to minimize the pain. You’ll probably be given antibiotics to treat the infection, and pain medicine to ease your discomfort.

The treatment of a tooth infection depends on the cause and the amount of treatment a patient is willing to pay for. The easiest way to eliminate the problem is a dental extraction. The tooth may also be extracted, allowing drainage through the socket. Another way is root canal, it can often save the tooth for the rest of a patient’s life. In this procedure the dead material inside the tooth is removed and filled. If the cause of the tooth infection is from the surrounding gums, then periodontal (gum) treatment is recommended.

Antibiotics for Tooth Infection

Antibiotics kill the invading bacteria but don’t go inside the dead tooth, so the open canals provide a safe area for the bacteria to hide. A dental antibiotic can not cure a tooth infection because of this. Many bacteria are resistance to antibiotics which makes even small tooth infections potentially serious since a small problem can grow out of control. Early treatment of tooth infection is important.

Cure for a Tooth Infection

If you got your tooth infection after extraction, rinse with salt water 3 or 4 times a day and Listerine (Listerine kills bacteria in the mouth) twice a day, but the best option is to go to the dentist.

Taking Echinacea may help to heal a minor tooth infection in wisdom tooth. A traditional tooth infection remedy is to apply a few drops of oil of cloves to the tooth, or alternatively simply place a clove in your mouth next to the tooth for a few minutes. Oil of Cloves, or Eugenol (the dentist uses it under this name), is an obtundant. It works for tooth decay on a tooth where there is wide open decay. It soothes the tooth (numbs), but does not cure it. Therefore, it is good for a short term until you can get to the dentist.

Without dental treatment, a tooth infection and dental abscess will continue to get worse, and may eventually lead to the destruction of the surrounding bone. Address your dentist as soon as possible.