Dental abscess

A dental abscess is a build-up of pus in the teeth or gums caused by an infection. It needs urgent treatment by a dentist. A dental abscess will not go away on its own.

Symptoms of a dental abscess

Signs of a dental abscess include:

• intense toothache or pain in your gums
• redness inside the mouth, or outside the mouth on the face or jaw
• sensitivity to hot or cold food and drink in the affected area
• a bad taste in your mouth
• difficulty opening your mouth and chewing food
• a swollen face or jaw
• a high temperature

Call 112 or go to A&E if:

• you are finding it hard to breathe
• have a swollen or painful eye, or suddenly start having problems with your eyesight
• have a lot of swelling in your mouth

Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 112 and ask for an ambulance.

Bring any medicines you take with you.

How to ease the pain caused by a dental abscess

There are some things you can do to help with the pain until you can get dental treatment.

Do

• take painkillers, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol (children under 16 should not take aspirin)

• eat soft foods like soup, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes and yoghurt

• use a soft toothbrush to clean your teeth

• avoid having sugary, or very hot or cold, foods and drinks

Treatment for a dental abscess

Dental abscesses are usually treated by a dentist. The dentist will drain away the pus.

If a problem with your tooth has caused the abscess, you may need root canal treatment, or the tooth may be removed. You'll be given a local anaesthetic, so you do not feel any pain.

You may be offered painkillers to take for a few days after treatment and may also be given antibiotics.

Causes of a dental abscess

Dental abscesses usually happen when pus builds up beneath your teeth or gums when you have an infection in your mouth.

You may get a dental abscess if:

• you have a tooth that has not grown out of your gums properly (an impacted tooth)
• you have tooth decay or gum disease
• you have injured your teeth, gums or mouth
• you're having radiotherapy or chemotherapy

How to prevent dental abscesses

There are some things you can do to help prevent dental abscesses.