An abscessed tooth is a painful and annoying one, and it can take a bit of time to clear it up. A Sunbury dentist has advised his patients that extra care must be taken to ensure the infection doesn’t return. The problems arise not just when the tooth becomes infected, but afterwards, and especially when the patient is avoiding that particular tooth because it is sensitive. In extreme cases of reoccurring infections, a root canal treatment may be required and this isn’t a pleasant experience. At the first sign of an abscess the dentist will try to save the tooth, antibiotics are prescribed to get the infection down, and pain killers will usually be recommended as well. An infection can take over a week to completely be treated, and in the meantime the dentist can do nothing to the tooth. After that the tooth can be removed if it is in a bad way, but your dentist will try to save it. Taking the tooth out will usually stop further infections, as will a rot canal treatment. Root canals are done where bacteria has managed to infiltrate deep down into the cavity of a tooth, the dentist will remove much of the inner part of the tooth and then clean it out. The hole will then be filled with an anti bacterial paste that hardens to replace the normal enamel of the tooth; this will leave no room for bacteria to accumulate in the future, and will usually cure the problem. Where the tooth is damaged by the abscess the dentist may find no alternate to an extraction, but as long as the jaw line is O.K. then a dental implant may be placed in the gap to replace the tooth, this will then take a few months to infuse with the bone, but the result is a natural feeling tooth and no more abscesses.

Wisdom teeth are not a nice thing to have when they start to play up, says a Shepperton dentist. Not everyone develops wisdom teeth; they usually appear in the late teens and generally by the age of 21. They are the last teeth that we grow, and they grow on the end of each row of teeth on the inside of the jaw line. Wisdon teeth in general don’t cause us a problem, but sometimes they grow bigger that the space allowed for them, and that’s when the problem starts. Impacted wisdom teeth are the extreme of the problem and these are the worse case scenario, pain follows a swelling of the gums and infection will set in where the tooth cracks and allows bacteria to seep into the inner cavity. Extraction is only possible after a course of antibiotics and when the swelling has disappeared completely, but it may not be necessary and your dentist will advice you on all the options. Your dentist will generally be able to extract the tooth or teeth, but in some extreme cases it may need the skills of a surgeon. Infection is a big risk so keeping the wound clean is a very must-do after a wisdom tooth extraction; this may include not smoking for a few days while the deep wound heals. It is generally done under a local anaesthetic although a general may be needed in some rare cases, this will be done by a dental surgeon in a hospital theatre. Stitches will be needed and a follow up appointment will be made at the dentist afterwards, these are usually self dissolving stitches and the healing process can take up to a few weeks to completely heal the wound. The removal will stop any further problems, and it is usually the end of any future tooth pain on those particular teeth.