What Happens if You Ignore the Symptoms of a Dental Abscess?

Posted on 6/20/2019 by Alyssa O'Steen

A dental abscess is a serious condition that you should not ignore. There are plenty of symptoms that signal you may have an abscess. Pain, fever, swelling in the area surrounding the affected tooth and bleeding are a few of the signs of an abscess.

While most people accept that they need to do something when they have symptoms of an abscess, others are more stubborn and try to ignore them. This is not the right thing to do and your body will react to the fact that you do not listen to what it tries to tell you.

The Symptoms Get Worse

There are many different symptoms of a dental abscess. Redness and swelling in the area of the abscess. Pain that can range from a dull ache to intermittent sharp pains to a constant throbbing. The infection of the abscess can lead to a fever.

An abscess is often the result of an untreated cavity. The fact that there is an abscess means that no one paid attention to the symptoms of the cavity. Over time the symptoms of the cavity get worse and the same thing happens when you ignore the symptoms of an abscess. They will get consistently worse and will interfere with the individual's ability to lead their normal life.

The Complications Continue
In addition to the symptoms getting progressively worse, the dangers from the abscess also increase. Pus will continue to build up in the abscess. At some point, the abscess will probably burst, releasing the pus. At this point several things can happen and most of them are bad. If the pus gets into the bloodstream, the infection can spread to other parts of the body including vital organs. The infection can also spread to the areas near the abscess including other teeth and gums.

The treatment for an abscess that was left unchecked is more difficult. It requires treating the infection first and then treating the abscess. It takes longer, costs more and is less comfortable. That is why you should never ignore the signs of an abscess.

For more information about this or any other oral health issue, contact our office to schedule an appointment.

Dr. Shillingburg and the amazing team at DFW Oral Surgeons are proud to provide exceptional care, including wisdom teeth removal, dental implants, and many other services to residents in and around Argyle, Bartonville, Highland Village, Lantana, Double Oak, South Denton, Denton County, and surrounding areas. Not only has Dr. Shillingburg won best Oral Surgeon of Denton County in 2017 and 2018. He has over 10 years of experience treating patients in his state-of-the-art outpatient surgery center in Flower Mound, TX.

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John C. Shillingburg, DDS

Certified by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

Dr. John Shillingburg is proud to be a native Texan. After graduating from Texas A&M with a bachelor's degree in Biomedical Science and from the University of Texas Dental School in San Antonio with a doctorate degree in dental science, Dr. Shillingburg completed a general dentistry residency at Fort Carson in Colorado. Read more.

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