A dental abscess can be an unpleasant, painful, and foul-tasting experience. These pus-filled pockets can often appear without any accompanying pain. In these cases, it’s common for them to remain unnoticed until your tongue finds a bump on your gums. Worse, sometimes they aren’t identified until they rupture. When this happens, you’ll notice a foul smell and taste resulting from their contents. When this happens, do you know what to do? Desert Pearl Dentistry put together this guide to help you take action when emergency dental care isn’t available.
How To Respond To A Dental Abscess When It Bursts
A dental abscess occurs when a bacterial infection occurs within the gums. This infection causes the arrival of white blood cells that work to defend the body and defeat the infection. As these white blood cells die, they remain trapped at the point of infection, resulting in a substance that we call pus. While this substance can be cleared away by the body when the infection passes, an ongoing infection will result in the formation of an abscess.
Abscesses often result from a bacteria infection caused by poor dental hygiene. However, they can also occur in patients with a weakened immune system and those who have experienced dental trauma or have impacted wisdom teeth. Further, a poor diet can contribute to the formation of a dental abscess. If you’ve ever experienced the sensation of one of these rupturing, you know that it isn’t a pleasant experience. When it does happen, you must take immediate steps to help ensure the infection doesn’t spread.
These steps can take when emergency dental care isn’t available:
- Rinse Your Mouth – When a dental abscess bursts, you’ll often experience an unpleasant flavor and odor. The first step when this happens is rinsing your mouth, preferably with an anti-bacterial mouthwash.
- Control Bleeding – Burst abscesses can also be the cause of minor bleeding. If you experience this, apply firm but gentle pressure using a clean cloth or gauze. This can often help stem the bleeding.
- Avoid Touching It – Other than the above, you shouldn’t touch or squeeze an abscess. This can lead to the transmission of bacteria to an area already compromised with an open wound. Rinse the area regularly, and allow it to heal naturally.
- Over-The-Counter Medication – Discomfort from a dental abscess rupture can be distracting or even painful. It can often be controlled using OTC medications such as Ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
The best thing you can do after an abscess rupture is to get to a dentist as quickly as possible. Emergency dental care can take important steps to ensure the abscess doesn’t cause additional infection and heals properly. Further, the underlying cause of the abscess can be identified and rectified with your dentist’s help.
Contact Desert Pearl Dentistry To Learn More
Start by calling our staff at (760) 568-0130. They’ll schedule your consultation and exam with a member of your dental team. During this appointment, we’ll examine the site of the abscess, assess its cause, and provide a treatment plan that can help speed healing and prevent future abscesses from forming.
