Dental Infection Treatment

What Causes a Tooth Infection?

A dental infection happens when bacteria get inside a tooth or the gums around it. Common causes include deep, untreated cavities, a cracked or broken tooth, an old filling that has leaked, and advanced gum disease. Over time, pus can collect at the root tip or in the gums, forming a painful pocket called an abscess.

Signs of a Dental Infection

• Severe, throbbing toothache that may spread to the jaw, ear or neck
• Pain when biting or chewing
• Lasting sensitivity to hot and cold
• Swelling in the gums, face or cheek
• A pimple-like bump on the gum, or a bad taste in your mouth
• Fever or feeling generally unwell

Get emergency care right away if you have swelling that is spreading quickly, trouble breathing or swallowing, or a high fever. These can be signs the infection is spreading.

How We Treat It

1. Diagnosis. We examine the area and take X-rays to find the source of the infection.
2. Relieving pressure. If there is an abscess, we may drain it to ease pain and swelling right away.
3. Treating the source. Depending on the cause, this may be a root canal to save the tooth, a deep cleaning for a gum infection, or an extraction if the tooth can't be saved.
4. Antibiotics if needed. In some cases we prescribe antibiotics to help control the infection.
5. Restoring the tooth. Once healed, we protect the tooth with a filling or crown.

Dental Infection FAQs

Will antibiotics alone cure it?

No. Antibiotics can calm an infection temporarily, but the source still needs treatment or it will come back.

What if the pain goes away?

That can mean the nerve inside the tooth has died, not that the infection is gone. It still needs to be treated.

How quickly can I be seen?

Call us as soon as you notice symptoms. We make room for patients in pain whenever we can.

Can I save my tooth?

Often, yes. A root canal can remove the infection and let you keep your natural tooth.