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Green arrows indicate tooth decay. Blue arrows indicate abscess at root of tooth. The infection at the root of the tooth can travel through bone and infect surrounding soft tissue. Mouth infections are usually diagnosed on history and physical exam in the dental office or at a clinic visit with an otolaryngologist. [1]
A dental abscess is a localized collection of pus associated with a tooth. The most common type of dental abscess is a periapical abscess, and the second most common is a periodontal abscess. In a periapical abscess, usually the origin is a bacterial infection that has accumulated in the soft, often dead, pulp of the tooth.
To achieve healing of the periapical lesion, one must obtain and maintain a decontaminated root canal system. System is to be emphasized, because the root canal system does not merely consist of tapering cone-shaped canals from orifice to apex , but rather, can and often is an intricate labyrinth of canals that diverge and weave to form an ...
A cyst is related to an abscess, but it contains a material other than pus, and a cyst has a clearly defined wall. Abscesses can also form internally on internal organs and after surgery. They are usually caused by a bacterial infection. [8] Often many different types of bacteria are involved in a single infection. [6]
Periodontal abscesses are less common than apical abscesses, but are still frequent. The key difference between the two is that the pulp of the tooth tends to be alive, and will respond normally to pulp tests. However, an untreated periodontal abscess may still cause the pulp to die if it reaches the tooth apex in a periodontic-endodontic lesion.
Odontogenic infections can be severe if not treated and are associated with mortality rate of 10 to 40%. [4] Furthermore, about 70% of odontogenic infections occur as periapical inflammation, i.e. acute periapical periodontitis or a periapical abscess. [3] The next most common form of odontogenic infection is the periodontal abscess. [3]
Dental caries result when the demineralization rate is faster than the remineralization, producing net mineral loss, which occurs when there is an ecologic shift within the dental biofilm from a balanced population of microorganisms to a population that produces acids and can survive in an acid environment.
Periodontal abscesses may be difficult to distinguish from periapical abscesses. Since the management of a periodontal abscess is different from a periapical abscess, this differentiation is important to make (see Dental abscess#Diagnostic approach) For example, root canal therapy is unnecessary and has no impact on pain in a periodontal abscess.