Larry Saylor D.M.D.

Cosmetic Dentistry Tampa FL | Dr. Larry Saylor Dentist Brandon FL

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
813-689-4226
  • Home
  • About
    • Overview
    • Dr. Larry Saylor Dentist In Tampa FL
    • Meet the Team
    • Our Commitment
    • Our Technology
    • In The Press
    • Seminars Attended by Dr. Saylor
  • Services
    • Overview
    • Cosmetic
      • Overview
      • Bioclear
      • Porcelain Veneers
      • DURAthin Veneers
      • Lumineers and DURAthin Veneers
      • Same-Day Dental Crowns
      • Mercury-Safe Dentistry
      • Invisalign
      • 6 Month Smile Invisible Braces
      • Tooth Whitening
      • Dental Bonding
      • Silver Filling Replacement
      • Dental Implants
      • Bite Correction
    • General Dental Health
      • Overview
      • Sedation Dentistry
      • Pain Free Dentistry
      • TMJ Treatment
  • Oral Hygiene Products
  • Gallery
    • Smile Before and After Gallery
    • Testimonials
      • Billie
      • Frances
      • Jerry
      • Stella
      • Julie
      • Alex
      • Erin
      • Pam
      • Debbie
      • Phil
      • Anita
      • Tuan
  • Patient Info
    • Overview
    • Video Testimonials
    • Patient Testimonials
    • Patient Forms
    • What To Expect After Oral Surgery
    • Treatment Cost
    • Payment Information
    • Abrasive Toothpaste
    • Porcelain Veneers
    • Oral Surgery
    • Post Op Instructions For Dental Crowns And Bridges
  • FAQ
    • COVID-19
    • Cosmetic FAQs
    • Chipped Teeth FAQs
    • Invisalign FAQS
    • Dental Veneers FAQs
    • Lumineers vs Veneers FAQs
    • Dental Crowns FAQs
    • Root Canal FAQs
    • Teeth Grinding FAQs
    • Sedation Dentistry FAQs
  • Dr. Saylor’s Blog
  • Contact

Dead Tooth? Options for Treating a Tooth Abscess

Consider this scenario, you go to your dentist for a routine exam and find out that you have an abscessed tooth. This is hard to believe considering you don’t feel any pain and your tooth looks normal on the outside. Seeking a second opinion, you go to another dentist who confirms what your dentist told you is true.

A tooth abscess can be seen on a periapical x-ray. These are typically done once every five years for patients who have healthy teeth with a low risk profile, and show the whole tooth from the crown to the root where the tooth attaches to the jaw.

How to diagnose a tooth abscess

In healthy teeth, there is a blood vessel, a nerve and a lymph vessel. When the tooth dies, there is no longer blood flow or nerve activity – all that is left is bacteria. It’s not causing pain, but it’s a part of your body that is now producing bacteria and could affect your overall health.

A tooth abscess, or dead tooth, is easy to identify on a periapical x-ray. The tooth will have a dark circle at the end of the root, which is called a periapical radiolucency. This can range from the size of a chickpea to the size of a postage stamp. Your dentist should be able to show you this on the x-ray to confirm the diagnosis.

Treatment options for a tooth abscess

The best way to treat a tooth abscess is a root canal. During a root canal, your dentist will drill a small hole in the tooth to remove the bacteria. The area will then be filled and a filling or crown will be placed to restore the tooth’s structure.

However, discussing treatment options for a dead tooth that is not causing pain is a sophisticated conversation. Patients want to avoid tooth pain, but because this doesn’t hurt there isn’t always an urgency to address the problem.

Keeping in mind that patients have many factors that impact dental care – such as time, fear and money – I like to present them with three options.

  1. 1. Do nothing and monitor the tooth.

    If the patient isn’t ready to treat this tooth, or there are other factors influencing their decision, I recommend that we do another periapical x-ray at their six-month cleaning. With this x-ray, we are looking to see if the lesion has grown. If it’s grown at all over the last six months, I’ll recommend that we schedule a root canal.

    If it’s the same size, there’s a chance that the lesion is dormant. This doesn’t mean the bacteria has gone away. It is still there, but is not getting any bigger. However, your immune system is still policing this tooth, which can be detrimental to your health long-term.

  2. 2. Wait to see if a fistula develops

    The second option is riskier. If, after the second periapical x-ray, the lesion has not grown or the patient is still not ready for a root canal, we will wait to see if a blister – or fistula – develops. A dental fistula is essentially a pathway that develops under the gumline to drain bacteria from the tooth abscess.

    This may seem like a good thing. However, it comes at the expense of your jaw bone. The patient may still not be experiencing any pain, but the fistula can eat away at your jaw bone. At this point, a root canal is no longer an option and an implant will need to be placed if there is enough jaw bone left.

  3. 3. Perform a root canal

    With both of the above options, a root canal will eventually be needed. It’s just a matter of when. If you are not a risk adverse person, I’d recommend getting the root canal now and avoiding possible complications from a fistula.

    I always tell my patients that the sooner we treat something, the more predictable and less costly it will be. Putting off dental procedures will never make them cost less, or produce less fear. If anything, it makes them more invasive and costlier.

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with a tooth abscess, it’s important to understand your options and make an educated treatment decision. Aren’t sure where to start? Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

Filed Under: Blogs, Dental Care, Restorative Dentistry Tagged With: root canal, tooth abscess, tooth infection

Larry Saylor D.M.D. > Blogs > Dead Tooth? Options for Treating a Tooth Abscess

Transform Your Smile Today!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Anxiety-Free Dentistry bad breath Best Dentist BioClear bleeding gums Brandon cavities cavity Cosmetic Dentistry covid-19 Dental Bonding dental care dental crowns dental implants Dental Veneers Dentist dentistry Dr. Saylor Filling Filling Replacement fixing your teeth FL gingivitis gum disease healthy gums healthy teeth Invisalign lumineers Lumineers in Tampa new smile Pain-Free Dentistry Porcelain Veneers root canal Sedation Dentistry sensitive teeth Smile-In-A-Day swollen gums tampa tender gums TMJ Treatment tooth infection tooth pain tooth replacement Tooth Whitening veneers

Recent Posts

  • Tooth Replacement – Should I Replace a Missing Tooth?
  • How Long Does It Take To Get Dental Implants?
  • Do I Need a Dental Crown or a Filling?
  • 4 Things to Know Before you Start Invisalign
  • Advice for People Interested in Dentistry

Categories

  • Blogs
  • Cosmetic Dentistry
  • Dental Care
  • Latest News and Information
  • Media
  • Restorative Dentistry
  • Sedation
  • Uncategorized

Archives

Tweets by DRSaylorDentist

Discover for yourself what some our patients are saying about our Brandon dental practice.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Location

Larry Saylor D.M.D
213 Kingsway Road Suite B
Brandon, FL 33510
Tel : 813.689.4226

Facebook

Dr. Larry Saylor, DMD, MAGD

Recent Posts

  • Tooth Replacement – Should I Replace a Missing Tooth?
  • How Long Does It Take To Get Dental Implants?
  • Do I Need a Dental Crown or a Filling?
© 2023 Crystal Clear Digital Marketing | Site Map | TOS/Privacy Policy | Larry Saylor D.M.D.