When you have persistent tooth pain that keeps you up all night, you might be dealing with a tooth infection. An infection inside a tooth that has spread out to the area around the roots or the root tip is known as an abscessed tooth.
This type of infection usually starts in a tooth's inner chamber known as the pulp chamber. This area houses nerves and blood vessels that are collectively known as the pulp. When a tooth loses its ability to ward off infection, bacteria move into the pulp chamber and begin to multiply. As the bacteria inside the pulp grow, the infection starts to spread towards the tooth's root and your jawbone. The pus that comes from within the pulp chamber consists of debris, bacteria, and dead white blood cells.
The difference between a tooth infection and a gum abscess is where the infection originates from. As we mentioned above, the infection starts in the pulp chamber of an infected tooth, while a gum infection starts in a gum pocket outside a tooth.
Failing to properly take care of your teeth and gums makes you more likely to develop an infection. Certain bad habits like grinding your teeth, tooth trauma, or consuming a high-sugar diet put you at an increased risk of developing an infection. Dental treatments from the past can also make you more vulnerable to tooth infections.
One of the common reason why you might develop an abscess is a cavity that grows to the point that it reaches the pulp chamber. Once the infection reaches the chamber, the pulp inside clashes with the bacteria in the mouth and other debris. This often results in the inflammation of the pulp. This is what creates the painful sensations associated with toothaches.
If the tooth remains untreated, the pulp will eventually die and an abscess can develop. During the early stages of an infection, the tooth can still be saved with a root canal. However, once the infection begins to spread to the tooth's root, an extraction is typically the best way to ensure the infection does not spread into your jawbone or bloodstream.
Your pulp chamber can also have issues due to a trauma to the tooth or a dental procedure such as a filling or crown that is too close to the pulp chamber. It is possible for an infected tooth that receives treatment with a root canal to develop an infection.
This typically happens when the tooth does not receive the proper after the procedure or it fractures after the treatment. Any of your teeth can become infected, but the teeth in the back of your mouth are the most vulnerable to infection since their location makes them harder to clean. That is one of the reasons why wisdom teeth are often removed.
Contact Trophy Smile Studio to learn more about tooth infections and how to treat them.
You can request a dental check-up here: https://trophysmilestudio.com or call Trophy Smile Studio at (817) 210-4049 for an appointment in our Trophy Club dental office.
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