Prevent Serious Repercussions with Incision and Drainage
Cavities, dental trauma and poor oral hygiene are the most frequent underlying causes of dental infections which can lead to an abscessed tooth. A dental abscess is a swollen pocket of soft tissue filled with pus (the thick pale yellow or green substance that frequently accompanies an infection). Prompt treatment of abscesses is essential because the infection can travel through your bloodstream, potentially infecting additional teeth, gums and bones, spreading to the deep neck space or intracranial sinuses, and causing life-threatening septic shock. The goal of incision and drainage is to evacuate inflammatory matter from the soft tissue swelling, alleviate pain, enhance healing and prevent more serious repercussions. During surgical incision and drainage in Broadview & Macedonia, OH, our endodontists remove a small portion of infected gum tissue via incision to drain pus from your abscess.
Abscess Symptoms
A dental abscess is an infection in the mouth that can cause symptoms such as:
- Fever
- Gum boil (swollen bump)
- Severe, persistent and throbbing toothache
- Pain that radiates to your jawbone, neck or ear
- Sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures
- Sensitivity to chewing or biting
- Swelling in your face, neck or cheek
- Tender, swollen lymph nodes under your jaw or in your neck
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing
- Sudden foul-smelling and foul-tasting fluid in your mouth
Types of Abscesses
Periodontal and gingival
This type of abscess affects the periodontium, which is the complex structure composed of the gingiva (gum tissue), periodontal ligament, cementum and alveolar bone (bone that supports your teeth). This type of infection usually starts in the alveolar bone. Infection limited to the gum tissue is called a gingival abscess.
Periapical
Although this type of abscess is more common in children, it can occur at any age, especially in people with poor oral hygiene habits. The abscess affects the inside of a tooth, usually around the tooth root end (apex).
Pericoronitis
This rare type of abscess is most common in lower third molars (wisdom teeth) that haven’t fully erupted. A partially erupted wisdom tooth can leave a flap of gum tissue that collects food particles and other debris, resulting in an ideal breeding ground for bacteria.
How We Perform Soothing Incision and Drainage
During an incision and drainage in Broadview & Macedonia, OH, we numb the area around your abscess with a local anesthetic. To ensure your comfort and alleviate any dental anxiety, we also offer sedation options. We then carefully incise your gums and/or drill into your infected tooth with specialized tools. Once we access the abscess, we remove infected matter and drain the pus. Next, we irrigate the area with a sterile saline solution to remove any residual bacteria or debris. After we have determined all the infected matter and pus has been removed, we close the incision with a few sutures or fill the infected tooth. In some cases, we’ll place a small rubber drain in the abscess site to drain any pus that continues to produce. The drain is typically removed within three days, after which we apply sutures or fill the impacted tooth.
Postsurgical Symptoms that Require Emergency Care
- Increased redness or swelling
- Red streaks in the skin leading away from the wound
- Increased local pain
- Pus that continues to drain from the wound two days after treatment
- Temperature that rises above 101°F (38.3°C)
- Boil returns when you’re home
