Old Town Dentist Can Treat Your Dental Abscess

In our comfortable Old Town Dentist offices, we treat patients with a variety of oral health issues, including a dental abscess.  We recommend that patients have their teeth cleaned and a full dental exam twice a year.  This allows us to remove bacteria and plaque that form on the teeth and gums before they have a chance to create a cavity or cause gum disease.   When patients are seen infrequently, it gives bacteria and infections the opportunity to spread and this can eventually lead to the formation of a dental abscess. The smaller the cavity, the easier it is for us to treat before it can expand or lead to additional pain and discomfort.

A dental abscess is a tooth infection that spreads into the gums and bone structure.  It can even spread into the neck.  It is important to understand that an abscess is an infection, which will continue to spread and cause increasing amounts of pain until it either bursts on its own or is treated under the medical supervision of a dentist’s office.

An abscess starts as a small and seemingly insignificant infection, likely a cavity.  If a patient has a dental exam upon feeling the first signs of discomfort, the infection won’t have the opportunity to spread and form an abscess in the first place.  This is the best way to avoid experiencing a lot of pain.

If you have any of these symptoms call Old Town Dentist and schedule an appointment immediately:

• Tooth pain.
• Swollen, painful, or bleeding gums.
• Red swollen face and neck.
• An area of your mouth or jaw that is sensitive to the touch.
• Flu like symptoms that are accompanying mouth pain.
• Puss inside of your mouth.

These can all be signs of a severe tooth infection or dental abscess that require immediate treatment. 

During the dental examination, we will look for the area where the infection is coming from.  This could be deep inside of the tooth, requiring a dental x-ray, or more obvious and close to the surface.  If the abscess is drainable, this is typically the first step in removing the infection.  The spot can be cut open, and puss drained out, then followed up with antibiotics and further dental treatments.  When the infection has settled into the neck or floor of the mouth, dental surgery may need to be performed in order to drain it.  We will prescribe pain medication as needed to help patients feel less discomfort during and after the process.

Once the infection is drained, it is important to identify any other infected areas within the mouth.  Since an abscess starts as a small infection, it is unwise to let even the smallest cavity remain.  Whether in one sitting or a follow up appointment, we will remove any other cavities, perform root canals as necessary, and deep clean the gums in order to remove bacteria and infection.  This is extremely important for a persons’ long term oral health.

At Old Town Dentist, we help patients suffering from oral infections but prefer to help patients avoid them in the first place.  Rather than waiting for an infection to spread and cause pain, we want to remove the infection early so that our patients can live life fully and without interruption.  Call and schedule your dental exam today so that we can keep you on track for good oral health. 

A Dentist Can Identify Early Signs of Oral Cancer

As a local dentist, we help patients to stay in the best possible oral health.  Regular dental examinations and at home preventative care are essential for staying healthy. While, at home, you should brush your teeth after meals, floss, and use an antiseptic mouthwash daily.  When you visit our office we can clean your teeth and gums to remove bacteria and plaque that has built up over time.  This will prevent cavities and gum disease.  We can also look for signs of oral cancer so that if present, you can receive treatments quickly.

Men are at greater risk of oral cancer than women and once a man turns fifty he is at the greatest risk of all.  The American Cancer Society reported that over 35,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancer every year within the United States.  This is a significant number when you consider how little the disease is talked about.  Most people are unaware that this is a common disease and are unsure of what symptoms to watch for.

As a local dentist, we try to educate and inform our patients so that they can watch for signs of oral cancer and schedule appointments quickly if they see something to be concerned about.  There are several signs you can watch for at home including: difficulty swallowing, pain when swallowing, rough patches inside of your mouth, bumps, lumps, sores that won’t heal, and bleeding.  This can all indicate that something is wrong and that you potentially have oral cancer.

A visit to the dentist is the first step in seeing if the symptoms you are experiencing are cancerous or if they are related to other oral health issues such as gum disease.  For example, gum disease can also make your gums bleed and cause pain.  During your dental examination, we will inspect your teeth, gums, and mouth to identify any potential oral health issues that you are experiencing.  If something is identified that appears to be cancerous, you will likely be referred to an oral surgeon so that they can remove a piece of tissue to be tested in the lab.

There are things you can do at home to prevent oral cancer, including:

• Stop chewing tobacco.  Smokeless tobacco products are extremely dangerous for your health.  People that chew tobacco, snuff, or dip are sixty times more likely to get oral cancer.  The increase is staggering.  If you are chewing do whatever you can to quit in order to stay healthy.
• Smoking.  People that smoke cigarettes or cigars have a six times greater chance of being diagnosed with oral cancer.
• Drinking too much.  Drinking alcohol in excess is dangerous for your liver and your mouth.  People that drink too much have a six times greater chance (the same as if they smoked) of getting oral cancer.  Studies are unclear as to what is considered excessive but many doctors agree that over two drinks a day is too much.

If you are worried about your oral health, or want to make sure that you continue to stay healthy, schedule an appointment with our local dentist office.  We will examine your teeth, gums, and mouth to ensure that you are in good health and stay that way.