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Dental abscess
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A dental abscess is a collection of pus that forms in your
- Symptoms of dental abscess 
teeth or gums. It forms as the result of a bacterial
- Treating dental abscesses 
infection. Anyone with teeth can develop a dental abscess, - When to seek immediate
children and adults are equally affected. medical help 

Symptoms of dental abscess 

The main symptom of a dental abscess is a severe, throbbing pain in your More useful links
affected tooth or gum.
- How to use your health
services
The pain usually:

comes on suddenly
may gradually get worse over a few hours or a few days
causes teeth to be tender and sensitive

Sometimes the pain may spread to your ear, lower jaw and neck, on the
same side as the affected tooth. There can also be severe swelling in the
face, which can spread if the abscess is not treated.

Other symptoms can include:

tenderness of your tooth and surrounding area

sensitivity to very hot or cold food and drink
an unpleasant taste in your mouth
bad breath (halitosis)
a general feeling of being unwell
 difficulty opening your mouth
difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
disturbed sleep 
a high temperature (fever)

Treating dental abscesses 

If you think you may have a dental abscess, you should see your dentist
as soon as possible. Your GP can give you advice, but they cannot provide
the treatment needed to cure an abscess.

Usually the only way to cure a dental abscess is with dental treatment.

When to seek immediate medical help 

The following symptoms may mean the infection has spread to other
parts of your body:

swelling in your face

a high temperature (fever) of 38°C (100.4°F) or above
severe pain that does not respond to treatment with painkillers
breathing difficulties

If you develop any of these symptoms and you are not due to see a
dentist straight away, you will need to access emergency dental
services. Find information about emergency dental services in Northern
Ireland.

You can find out more about dentists in Northern Ireland, including
registering with a local health service dentist at:

Dentists and Health Service dental charges

Find out more about dental abscesses on NHS Choices website

More useful links

How to use your health services

The information on this page has been adapted from original

content from NHS Choices.

For further information, read terms and conditions.

This page was reviewed March 2017

This page is due for review March 2018

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