Periodontal Abscess


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Toothache

Lynne Heckert, DDS, JD

The Periodontal (Gum) Abscess
The Gum is Infected

Periodontal Abscesses almost always occur in people who have existing periodontal disease that is advanced enough to have resulted in some loss of bone around the root of the tooth.
-The infection will be around the tooth and under the gum. The gum will be sore and inflamed.
-The tooth may be alive or dead.

Symptoms include:
- Pain when the tooth is pushed or tapped on;
- Pain when biting (and the pain does not disappear immediately after opening);
- Inflammation / swelling in the area.

Treatment
- Antibiotics, usually amoxicillin 500 mg 4 times a day for 10 days. Erythromycin will be used if you are allergic to the penicillin family.
- Cleaning the area. Debris is removed and the pus allowed to drain.

You should start to feel better relatively quickly but it is important to realize that there was an underlying periodontal problem that needs to be addressed. More about periodontal disease and periodontal abscess can be found on this series' "Periodontal Disease" site.

The "Combined" Lesion

At times, a tooth may have a periapical abscess and a periodontal abscess. This is called a "combined" lesion. Both problems need to be treated and the prognosis of the tooth may be guarded.

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Please remember that information on these sites is not all-inclusive and it may or may not apply to your situation and you need to call your own dentist. A dentist needs to see the tooth, take and x-ray, etc. to diagnose and treat. I cannot respond to email inquiries or phone calls. Thanks for visiting!