How to Tell if You Have an Abscess We Need to Check

An abscess tooth is one of the most excruciating and harmful dental conditions that one can experience. Unfortunately, when it comes to these kinds of treatments, many people are so fearful that they tend to put them off until the point where they become emergencies.

We not only strongly recommend that you don’t do this, we beg you not to do it. Ignoring a problem such as this can lead to serious dental issues, much greater expense, and persistent problems that are much more difficult to treat than if you had just come to see us at the beginning. But you also may be wondering how you can tell if you actually do have an abscess that needs examination. Here is how to get a pretty good idea about that:

A Severe and Persistent Throbbing Pain

The first clue is a chronic pain in an individual tooth or quadrant of your mouth, jaw, ear, and even the neck or back of the head. The more intense and isolated the pain is, the more likely it has something to do with an abscess.

Hypersensitivity to Biting and/or Chewing

Something else that you should notice is the fact that taking a bite of or chewing food is torturous. Being especially tender, the tooth will also feel crippling pain when it comes into contact with anything cold or hot. If you are having trouble with any or all of these issues, there really is no reason to delay getting it looked at any longer.

As we stated at the beginning, if you think that you are developing or already have a full-blown abscess, timing is of the essence. Get in touch with our office immediately to schedule a visit. The more time you wait, the worse the situation will become.