Do you have tooth pain that is accompanied with swelling or bleeding? Then chances are you have an abscessed tooth. An abscess[1] is a buildup of harmful bacteria infection usually between the tooth and the gum. Swelling occurs because the site of the infection fills with pus. Our dental team at Arrow Smile Dental usually prescribes antibiotics in cases when tooth abscesses are present. However, when needed we also treat an abscessed tooth with a root canal. Arrow Smile Dental serves the communities of Covina, West Covina, Baldwin Park, Azusa, Glendora, and San Dimas. If you need immediate help with an abscessed tooth, call us immediately at (626) 938-1236. Putting off the infection will lead to more dental and health problems.
Sometimes people ask if they can simply treat their abscessed tooth with antibiotics and forego a root canal. Here are some major reasons why that is a bad idea.
Why Root Canals Are Needed
Once you’ve been prescribed an antibiotic, you’ll most likely find that any fevers or swelling that you’ve had dissipate. Antibiotics travels through your blood stream and rids the body of bacteria, especially at the site of the infection. However, the antibiotimertc is only effective within the bloodstream. Inside of an abscessed tooth is pulp and dentin. When bacteria have penetrated your tooth, they will continually feed on the pulp and dentin. Therefore, the infected internal tissue of the tooth must be removed and the surrounding areas cleaned. A root canal accomplishes this.
Once the root canal is complete, the tooth is typically crowned which seals to internal area of the tooth from further infection. Crowns also strengthen teeth so that they can function normally. Crowns do not need to be a lengthy process. In fact, at Arrow Smile Dental we offer CEREC same-day crowns. Contact us today for further information.
[1] Abscess (Toothache). (n.d.). Retrieved August 20, 2016, from http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/a/abscess