Dental Abscess: Symptoms, Risks, and Urgent Treatment

A dental abscess is a pocket of pus caused by a bacterial infection. It can form in different parts of the tooth or gum. A dental abscess is always a dental emergency - it will not resolve on its own and can become life-threatening if left untreated.

Symptoms of a dental abscess include: severe, persistent, throbbing toothache; pain that radiates to your jaw, neck or ear; sensitivity to hot and cold; sensitivity to the pressure of chewing; fever; swelling in your face or cheek; tender, swollen lymph nodes under your jaw or in your neck; a sudden rush of foul-smelling, foul-tasting fluid in your mouth with immediate pain relief (this indicates the abscess has burst).

If you have facial swelling, fever, or difficulty swallowing or breathing, go to the hospital emergency room immediately as the infection may have spread.

Treatment for a dental abscess typically involves: drainage of the abscess (making a small incision to drain the pus); antibiotic therapy to clear the infection; root canal treatment to remove the infected pulp and save the tooth; or extraction if the tooth cannot be saved.

Do not take antibiotics without professional dental advice - they treat the infection but not the underlying cause. Treatment of the source of infection is always required.

At our Geneva clinic, we treat dental abscesses as urgent emergencies. Contact us immediately if you suspect an abscess.