Such an unpleasant surprise, as an abscess appeared on the gum, will probably spoil the mood. The initial stage of gum inflammation can pass almost imperceptibly - for the abscess, like many other infectious diseases, a long development and course is characteristic. Only an unpleasant sensation while brushing your teeth or while chewing solid foods, as well as bleeding gums, will tell you that not everything is in order in the oral cavity.
Likelihood of complications
If you do not pay attention to such an insignificant, at first glance, symptom, you can get serious complications. In the absence of proper treatment, the abscess on the gum (photo below) may increase in size, bleeding will increase, and in the future, a breakthrough and spread of infection is possible. Then strong pains follow, the gum swells, a flux formation appears. In this case, even blood poisoning is possible! And in order to prevent such a development of events, it is necessary to understand what the abscess is, for what reasons it appears and how to get rid of it.
What causes an abscess?
An abscess on the gum is a cavity that appears on the gum, with purulent contents. This can happen for various reasons. The main one is infection of the gum tissue - it is possible that harmful bacteria got into the gingival pocket . The development of bacterial microflora is most susceptible to patients with dentures and crowns on their teeth. The first thing to remember in this situation is the need to contact a specialist for advice and treatment. Important: if an abscess has appeared on the gum, in no case should you get rid of the abscess yourself! Only a visit to the doctor will help identify the cause of the formation, help get rid of pain and abscess and prevent the development of complications.
Without pain
It happens that purulent formations develop without pain and any other symptoms. For example, with a cold or tooth infection, a cyst may form in the form of a closed abscess in the gum. The abscess in this case is white, without pronounced infectious symptoms due to the deep location of the focus of inflammation. This formation is considered very dangerous, and radiography is prescribed to detect it. A wen, which may increase over time, and a benign tumor, which is a serious degree of danger, are similar to a cyst.
Poor treatment
The cause of the appearance of an abscess on the gum can be a poorly performed tooth treatment, under the filling, microbes can start their activity and suppuration forms in the future. The use of non-sterile instruments during dental treatment can lead to the same consequences.
Other reasons are non-compliance with oral hygiene, tartar and constant plaque on the teeth, tooth decay, smoking, poor nutrition, gastrointestinal tract pathologies and malfunctions of the immune system.
So, many of the reasons contributing to the appearance of ulcers in the oral cavity are reduced to two main:
- Periodontitis - when sections of sagging gum tissue, the so-called pockets, in which food debris accumulate, appear between the gum and the lower edge of the teeth, they are just a favorable environment for the growth of bacteria.
- Periodontitis is a disease in which a focus of infection is formed at the very root of the tooth due to untreated caries or pulpitis, for example.
Consequences and Complications
We found that the absence of treatment of an abscess on the gums in a child and in an adult can lead to disastrous consequences. One of them is periodontal disease, with the spread of infection throughout the gum, which can lead to the appearance of flux, tooth loss and even surgery. Another unpleasant consequence is osteomyelitis. It is characterized by the formation of a dense abscess with a reddish liquid content, accompanied by such symptoms - an increase in lymph nodes, weakness, and elevated body temperature. In addition, a functioning focus of infection in the body affects the work of all organs and systems, in particular, it negatively affects immunity, and creates the conditions for the development of various diseases.
Since the essence of the abscess is the accumulation of infection, negative consequences can occur due to reduced immunity or untimely therapy. If an abscess is observed on milk teeth, then with the further spread of the infection, the rudiments of the permanent teeth may die. In addition, a pathology will develop in the jaw apparatus and an incorrect bite will form. With the prolonged presence of an abscess, the protective functions of the immune system are suppressed, which can provoke an allergy. Also, it is possible that the pathology of periodontal tissue (periodontitis) will join. Repeated relapses lead to premature tooth loss.
How to treat?
First of all, you need to know what exactly does not need to be done when an abscess is found on the gum:
- Trying to independently open the abscess - it will only get worse.
- Stop brushing your teeth completely - do not exclude oral hygiene, you just need to brush your teeth carefully so as not to injure your gums. It might be worth changing the toothbrush to a softer one. If brushing your teeth causes pain, you can simply rinse your mouth with a paste diluted in water.
- Use hot compresses to apply to sore spots - in the heat, microbes multiply more intensively, and pus, on the contrary, becomes larger.
- Rinse your mouth with warm decoctions and infusions, it is better to cool them.
Well, the main question remains - if there is an abscess on the gum, what should I do?
It must be remembered that the sooner you seek qualified help, the easier, easier and faster the treatment will be. An experienced doctor will not only deal with the elimination of the abscess itself, but, first of all, will find out the reasons that contribute to its appearance.
Treatment in the dental office takes place in several stages.
Training
Before a visit to the dentist, it is a good idea to carry out disinfecting procedures. For example, rinsing the oral cavity with a chilled chamomile broth, a solution of furatsilin or potassium permanganate will have an excellent antiseptic effect.
Autopsy of the abscess on the gum of the tooth
After a thorough examination, the doctor opens the abscess in an operative way to remove pus accumulated there. In this case, local anesthesia is usually used. The operation does not take much time.
Treatment
How to treat an abscess on the gum? This is a common question. After removing pus, the wound is cleaned and disinfected, the abscess cavity is washed with antibiotics. If possible, immediately eliminate all sources of infection, if any: treat caries, fill voids, eliminate plaque. This is necessary to prevent re-inflammation.
Delete
Unfortunately, there are neglected cases with severe purulent inflammation, when tooth extraction cannot be avoided, in order to prevent infection from entering the jawbone. Also, if necessary, additional surgical treatment is carried out - filling carious cavities, removal of the cyst.
After opening the abscess, the patient is given recommendations for taking antibiotics and the use of disinfectant washes. Also, at the discretion of the doctor, drugs that accelerate tissue regeneration can be prescribed.
Treatment at the dentist
In order for the abscess to not lead to complications or to avoid unpleasant symptoms, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible. But people take time and come to the dental office with prolonged suppuration, its relapses or severe pain. Before starting treatment with a dentist, an x-ray is taken.
What can be done at home?
Purulent inflammation will not go away by itself, and it is, of course, impossible to cure an abscess on the gums at home, independently, without the help of a qualified specialist.
But it happens that a visit to the doctor is temporarily impossible or postponed, how then to relieve symptoms at home?
- You can use cool antiseptic rinses: "Chlorhexidine", "Stomatidin", "Miramistin", "Rivanol" or a normal solution of potassium permanganate.
- It is useful to apply cold compresses or ice to the affected area.
- If severe pain bothers you, you can resort to the help of analgesics. Pain such as Nimesil, Ketanol, Nise, Solpadein, and others will help temporarily relieve pain.
- If there are medicinal herbs in the home medicine cabinet, you can prepare decoctions with very good anti-inflammatory properties for teeth and gums and stop the development of inflammation. For these purposes, oak bark, nettle, sage leaves, chamomile flowers, calamus root are used. Prepared and cooled to room temperature (lower), rinse the abscess as often as possible, pay special attention to the affected side.
Treatment of ulcers on the gums should be timely.
Prevention
In order to prevent the appearance of pustular formations on the gums and to avoid a long and expensive treatment, it is enough to take simple preventive measures:
- brush your teeth 2 times a day, even better after each meal, using a brush, toothpaste, floss and rinse;
- finally quit smoking;
- for the timely detection of the initial stage of the disease, it is necessary to visit the dentist 1-2 times a year.
- regularly inspect the oral cavity independently.