Dental abscess

If you have an abscess you’ll want treating as soon as possible. Talk to your Bristol dentist…

What are abscesses?

Abscesses are painful pockets of pus that form under the tooth or in the gum and bone. The pain usually appears quite suddenly and, unless you visit our Bristol dental practice quickly, the pain will increase over the following days.

What causes abscesses?

It’s usually a combination of eating or drinking starchy or sugary foods, and then not cleaning your teeth and gums regularly (or properly) afterwards. This encourages a build-up of bacteria that creates the perfect environment for abscesses.

How do you treat abscesses?

Abscesses don’t get better without treatment so it’s important you make an appointment with your Bristol dentist the moment you have, or suspect you have an abscess.

We’ll need to remove the pus, and that could mean some root canal work, removing a tooth or some gum treatment. You’ll have a local anaesthetic to numb the area so it shouldn’t be too painful.

How do I prevent abscesses?

Keeping your teeth and gums healthy is the easiest way to avoid abscesses. You can do that by following these tips:

• Diet: Cut down sugary and starchy foods and drinks, particularly between meals. Enjoy them as an occasional treat rather than regularly, and avoid them completely in the hour before you go to bed.

• Don’t smoke: It can make dental problems worse.

• Brush your teeth properly: The vast majority of people who visit our Bristol dental surgery brush their teeth at least twice a day. But not enough of us brush our teeth properly. Here’s how you can put that right:

– Brush every surface of your teeth – front, back and the biting surfaces. Gently brush your gums and tongue too.
– Use the right amount of fluoride for you (ask us for details).
– Take 2 minutes to brush – use a stopwatch or egg-timer to help.
– 2 minutes of careful brushing is far better than a shorter period of vigorous brushing as that can damage tooth enamel just as much as acid.
– Spit out any excess toothpaste after brushing, but don’t rinse your mouth. Let the toothpaste do its job.

• Visit your Bristol dentist: Visit us regularly at Lodge Causeway Dental Centre and we’ll keep your teeth decay and abscess-free with check-ups and the occasional scale and polish if necessary.