I am a dentist that offers emergency dentist services in Roseville, California. Roseville is a city that is located in the metropolitan area of Sacramento. Roseville, along with Sacramento, are both part of Placer County, California.
If you live in the Sacramento area, you probably have a dentist in the area that you see once or twice a year. Not all dentists offer emergency dentist treatment; however, I am a dentist that does provide emergency dentist treatment because I realize how vital it is to have emergency dentist treatment when needed. One emergency dentist treatment that is very important to take care of as soon as possible is an abscessed tooth.

What is an abscessed tooth?

An abscessed tooth is an infection at the root of a tooth that can be very painful. The tooth can have pus in the tissues around the tooth or beneath it.

Symptoms of an abscessed tooth can include the following:

. Swelling
. Pain
. Redness of the gums
. Fever
. Bad taste in mouth
. Toothache
. Throbbing
. Sensitivity to hot or cold items to the tooth
. Bad breath
. Swollen glands of the neck
. Discomfort

For someone experiencing a toothache as a result of an abscessed tooth, the root of the tooth can die as a result of the infection, and the toothache may stop. Often, when a toothache ends, a person may think the infection has stopped. The infection does not go away, but continues to spread and destroy tissue of the tooth and gums. It is very important to see a dentist even if the pain subsides.

What can cause an abscessed tooth?

Sometimes a bacterial infection or gum disease (also called periodontitis or gingivitis) can case the bone that surrounds the tooth to dissolve and an abscess to form. Severe tooth decay or trauma to the tooth such as the tooth being broken or chipped can also cause an abscessed tooth.

How can abscess of the tooth be treated?

An abscessed tooth can be treated with antibiotics or by draining the infection. Antibiotics destroy the bacteria that causes the infection. Antibiotics for abscess of the tooth are usually in pill form and taken for 7-10 days.

If an abscessed tooth is not treated, the bacterial infection will usually continue and cause more serious disease such as cellulitis. Sometimes antibiotics and used along with draining the source of the abscess, lancing the swelling next to the tooth, or removing the tooth.

If the pulp of the tooth has become infected, a root canal will need to be performed to remove the infected pulp and save the tooth. In some cases where a root canal does not save the tooth, the tooth needs to be extracted.