I had it drained (gross) on Monday morning. It’s Wednesday now and it’s still pretty swollen and still hurts if I lay down more than 2 hours at a time. I really need some sleep! What should I do?
Disclaimer: The information in this website should not be used as a substitute for the care and advice of your personal dentist or another physician.
#1 by HeatherS on February 19, 2010 - 5:34 am
It sounds like your abscess is a little more severe than first diagnosed. Draining a perio abscess alone usually will not correct the problem.
Return to your dentist to have it cleaned out again, he will also need to place you on an oral antibiotic, antiseptic rinse and possibly a pain medication along with an anti inflammatory medication. An x ray will show the depth of this abscess and also eliminate the possibility of the tooth itself having an abscess.
This will need further evaluation “after” the infection and inflammation have been reduced, to see if the pocket has shrunk enough to allow you to be able to keep it clean with normal brushing and flossing, or if it will need some perio surgery to remove tissue to achieve this. The normal pocket depth we like to see is a maximum of 3mm so, if a pocket deeper than 4-5 mm remains, you most likely won’t be able to keep it cleaned out leaving this an ongoing problem area. You’re dentist will advise you the best way to treat this.
Hope I’ve been of some help and good luck with your dental treatment.
#2 by Charm P on February 19, 2010 - 6:13 am
Visit your Dentisit you can get a very bad infection and that can spread to other parts of your body.
I assume after enough tissue has died in your mouth and possibly the nerve it might stop hurting. I assume you will be pretty ill before you get to that point.
#3 by zeb6219 on February 19, 2010 - 8:48 am
Return to your dentist, let him look at it, and hopefully he will prescribe a strong, broad spectrum antibiotic as a treatment for that abscess.
#4 by Patricia S on February 19, 2010 - 11:20 am
First call the dentist and ask if in your particular case (many variables) your condition is normal. The dentist may want to do a follow-up.
Secondly, if you where given an antibiotic, continue to take it until it is completely used up.
Thirdly,if you were not given an antibiotic, perhaps you need one.
Also, it would be helpful to rinse with warm salt water.
#5 by fun on February 19, 2010 - 4:22 pm
As a dentist, I quite understand your situation. Pain will last regardless of time. It mainly depend on your causes. In most cases, this is caused by the pulpitis(a inflammation occur ed at the root of tooth). Clinical features of that can be stimulated pain when drinking cold water or eating sour food, symptoms can be relieved after a period, when you get sleep, it gets worse. If the disease were not treated properly, it can get developed into periodontal abscess, then the teeth will get looser and looser, and teeth then have to be removed.
Suggested treatment: X-ray examination of pain region, anti-bio tics to control inflammation and prevent secondary infection, if the abscess is too big to be treated by medicine, you have to accept a simple surgery to cut up your gum and relieve the pressure.
#6 by Miss Kitty Katt on February 19, 2010 - 11:04 pm
over the counter meds: you need something anti inflammatory like advil or aleve. that should at the least take the edge off. what you really need to do is get to a dentist for a round of antibiotics to kill the infection and drain the absess. after that you can get the tooth pulled if you need to. whatever you do, don’t try to pierce it yourself. if you accidently puncture the skin underneath the absess, you will send the infection into your blood stream which can actually be fatal.