Gum Abscesses

Gum disease isn’t just a matter of a little swelling. It’s an infection that could spread elsewhere in the body and cause a lot of pain. But it is treatable, and the earlier people seek intervention, the better. At Healthy Smiles Family Dental in Salem, we help patients recover from gum abscesses, but we need people to know when to come see us.

The early stage of gum disease is gingivitis. If allowed to progress, it becomes periodontitis, in which the walls of the gum pocket recede from around the root of a tooth. Abscesses are pockets filled with pus, a fluid made up of infectious bacteria, dead tissue, and acid. When an abscess forms near the gum line in a person with gingivitis, it is called a gingival abscess, and when it forms in the gum pocket of someone with periodontitis, it is a periodontal abscess.

An abscess will cause persistent pain, a bad taste, and may prevent the patient from fully opening their mouth. It may also induce fever, as bacteria enters the bloodstream. We can treat an abscess by draining it and cutting away the dead tissue, but we’ll often follow-up by smoothing the patient’s tooth roots in a procedure called planing. This will prevent bacteria from hiding in crevices during future deep cleanings. We will also prescribe the patient antibiotics and take x-rays to determine whether the infection spread to the dental pulp or tooth root.

Drs. Na Xu and Mark Thomas operate Healthy Smiles Family Dental at 2601 25th St SE #400, Salem, Oregon, 97302. Visit My Family Dentist Salem or call 503-385-1185.