Plaque is a sticky substance made up of saliva, leftover food particles, and bacteria from your mouth. If you don’t practice healthy oral hygiene habits like brushing and flossing frequently, a layer of plaque can stick to your teeth and gums, allowing harmful and destructive bacteria to damage them.
Once the bacteria have access to the soft tissues of your teeth and gums, a bacterial infection can quickly develop and eventually lead to a gum abscess — a painful pocket of pus located in your gum line.
There are two types of gum abscesses: gingival and periodontal. Gingival abscesses only affect your gums. However, periodontal abscesses are located in the space between your teeth and gums, affecting them both.
At his practices in Statesville and Hickory, North Carolina, endodontist Robert Scott Nance, DDS, MS, PA, and our team specialize in the delicate inner portions of the teeth and gums along with saving teeth that have been severely damaged by decay and infection.
This month’s blog specifically focuses on why periodontal abscesses develop, when to seek treatment, and how to prevent repeat infections.
Periodontal abscesses are caused by bacterial infections in your gums. This can happen for several reasons.
One cause is complications from periodontitis disease — an inflammatory condition caused by plaque development underneath your gums. Poor oral hygiene is a top contributor to periodontitis disease since it allows plaque buildup to damage and infect your gums, leading to periodontitis disease and subsequent abscess.
Another possible cause is a periodontal pocket, which is also a direct result of poor brushing and flossing habits. A periodontal pocket is a space that forms between your teeth and gums because of severe gum disease. Bacteria get the perfect entry spot through this hole and cause the infection and abscess.
A periodontal abscess results from other severe conditions that have gone on for too long, so it won’t take long to realize you have one. Here are some signs and symptoms that indicate you have a periodontal abscess:
The most obvious sign of a periodontal abscess is a large swollen bump on your gums.
While you can manage some of the pain from your abscess at home, it's important to seek immediate treatment for it.
An untreated abscess can lead to severe oral health complications, such as destruction of your tooth ligaments and structures, jawbone loss, and tooth loss. The bacteria from the infection could even spread to other parts of your body and lead to dangerous conditions, such as heart inflammation, pneumonia, or sepsis.
When Dr. Nance treats your periodontal abscess, he incises the abscess to drain it.
Then, he cleans the debris and infectious bacteria. He also prescribes antibiotics to help your body fight off the remainder of the infection.
In severe cases, he may perform root canal therapy or a tooth extraction to protect your body from dangerous health complications.
Periodontal abscesses pose a serious threat to your health, so it’s imperative that you do everything you can to prevent them.
Brush twice a day and floss daily. Doing a quick brush and floss 30 minutes after meals is also a good practice for removing pesky leftover food particles.
For expert abscess diagnosis and treatment, look no further than Dr. Nance and our team. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Nance, simply call your nearest office location today.
