Home Remedies For An Abscessed Tooth?

If a planned root canal session does not happen for a long time, or a minor infection or decay is not spotted because it is not visible, the tooth it is on or near may become abscessed. This is a problem, as an abscess is a very serious thing indeed.

What Is An Abscess

An abscess is defined as : “ A tooth abscess or root abscess is pus enclosed in the tissues of the jaw bone at the apex of an infected tooth's root(s). “* This means a small pocket of pus that is caused by a bacterial infection. The abscess can spread and become larger, or it may be enveloped in sterile tissue to form a cyst. An abscess can be potentially even lethal, as if it goes untreated, eventually the bacteria can enter the bloodstream and cause blood poisoning. This is only in extreme cases of neglect however, and besides, the pain in cases of an abscess is so extreme that only those who really cannot afford to do anything about the problem, or those who simply do not have access to medical care will experience it.

What to do in case of an abscess

If you find that an abscess has indeed formed in your mouth, the obvious thing to do is call an oral surgeon as soon as possible. In the meanwhile, a GP can help and prescribe antibiotics, as these will be necessary to fight off the infection. Usually, under clinical circumstances, the tooth with the abscess on it, or with the abscess i its tooth bed will be removed, if necessary, surgically. Obviously, an extraction at home is simply a bad idea, as you need an x-ray of the tooth to make sure you will not damage the complex and interdependent nervous system that runs inside of your mouth. So let us see what we can do with the symptoms, fi a dentist is not available.

Home Remedies

It is impossible to treat the actual infection, as antibiotics will need to be prescribed, but it is well possible to treat the symptoms. The best thing to do with the inevitable excruciating pain is to put a wet, salty rag on the affected area, and take anti-inflammatory medication like Ibuprofen or Tylenol. It is also a good idea to gargle with traditional herbs that are used for healing, like sage, black pepper, or anything used in a steak seasoning. Another good thing to use is Bonjela, an analgesic gel used for teething, but also for relieving the pain caused by infections of the bones and hard tissues in the mouth. Another  You can also check this discussion here for more home remedies. But whatever you do, and no matter how good you feel (you may even be completely symptom free) remember that the infection that caused the abscess is still alive and well, and you still need to go see a medical professional.  

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