A tooth infection can lead to more serious conditions like painful tooth abscess. For this reason, it is necessary to know how to prevent and treat it.
Having good oral health is vitally important and the easiest way to do this is by brushing your teeth regularly. If you don’t, you may have to deal with a tooth infection.
These generally result in unsightly and painful abscesses and have different names depending on the parts of the tooth or gums they affect. No-one likes having sore teeth or gum.
Prevention is key, though if you can’t prevent something, it makes sense to understand more about it.
Therefore, in the following post, we will look at tooth infections a little closer. We will discuss what causes them and the possible symptoms you could experience. Then we will look at some natural remedies for pain relief if you have a tooth infection.
What Are They?
Tooth infections generally come in the form of dental abscesses, which can be incredibly painful. The most common types of tooth infections/abscesses are:
- Periapical Αbscesses – this affects the apex or tip of the tooth root and is the result of a localized, chronic infection there
- Periodontal Αbscesses
- Gingival Abscesses – this only affects the gum tissue, without affecting the periodontal ligament or the tooth
- Pericoronal Αbscesses – this affects the softer tissue that surrounds the tooth crown.
What Causes Them?
Predominately, tooth infections are caused by the growth of bacteria in and around an existing cavity either in the bones or soft tissues of the neck or face. Infected teeth that are not treated by a dental practitioner can create abscesses to form.
Cavities only form in your teeth when proper oral hygiene has not to be followed, such as brushing and flossing. If you are not careful, the infection will eventually spread.
Common Symptoms
One of the best ways to tell if you suffer from a tooth infection or abscess is by understanding the symptoms. Common symptoms experienced by sufferers of tooth infections and abscesses include:
- Throbbing, persistent and severe pain in the tooth and gums, that potentially could spread to the neck, jawbone and even ear
- Cold and hot temperature sensitivity
- Pressure caused by biting or chewing sensitivity
- Fever or raised temperate
- Swelling of your cheeks or face
- Swollen and tender lymph nodes in your neck or underneath your jaw
- Unexpected and sudden nasty tasting and a nasty smelling salty liquid collecting inside your mouth
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
Natural Remedies For Tooth Infections
As tooth infections like abscesses normally do not go away without treatment, your dental practitioner or doctor can prescribe antibiotics for this purpose. However, there are many natural home remedies that offer relief and antibiotic properties to fight against abscesses.
Some of the most common and easily accessible are highlighted below.
1. Clove Oil
By administering the infected tooth and the surrounding area with a few drops of clove oil you could numb the pain. The oil produced from cloves has anesthetic and antiseptic agents which also help to prevent the bacteria from spreading around your mouth.
2. Plantain Compress
Another great natural remedy for an infected tooth involves making a compress of plantain. First, you need to chew gently on a fresh plantain leaf. After it has been chewed, apply it to the affected area and tooth. Plantain is great for drawing infected material from out of gums.
You need to chew it to activate this ability properly
3. Vitamins and Minerals
You can also combat tooth infections by supplementing a healthy diet with the addition of specific vitamins and minerals. Namely, magnesium, calcium, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. These help to strengthen your teeth and gums and can prevent infections from coming back.
4. Reduce Your Sugar And Fizzy Drink Intake
As sugars and carbonated drinks are highly acidic, when they are left on your teeth, they start to break down the enamel. When this happens, cavities are created in your teeth, which can allow bacterial infections to form and grow.
By reducing your intake of sugars and these drinks, you can prevent infections.
5. Brush Your Teeth
It may sound like common sense, but one of the biggest reasons why people suffer from tooth infections in the first place is that they don’t have a good oral hygiene routine. When you brush your teeth properly and regularly, you remove the corrosive plaque from the surface of your gums and teeth before needing treatment.
If you are not careful, the bacteria that forms can seep back into your gum tissue, even after treatment, re-effecting the area again. When brushing, it is recommended you use a circular motion, brushing over small areas methodically.
When you brush from side to side, you actually can tear down the protective enamel your teeth need to prevent damage to the inner tissue and weaken your gums. Tooth infections can be, in the best-case scenario, a minor annoyance; but in the worst-case scenario, seriously painful.
While the above natural remedy tips may help you avoid the need for antibiotics or dental treatment; if the pain is so unbearably severe and starts to spread through your jaw, face, and head – you should see your dental practitioner.
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