The question about: is over the counter mouth abscess treatment effective?
Let me answer this question for you first. In one word the answer is NO.
Mouth abscess, most of the times are a more serious infection than you think. The tissues infected are at the root of your tooth or between gums and root of your tooth, it demands immediate attention of a dentist.
If this pain or infection is taken lightly it may spread till jawbone.
Sometimes it affects the ear also. So while over the counter treatment like temporary pain relief medicine may help, you must visit the doctor for a thorough check up.
That’s the only way to help you in the long run.
The Cause of Mouth Abscess
Mouth abscess is a painful infection some where between the roots of the teeth and gum.
If left unattended pus forms around this area appearing like a lump.
Mouth abscesses often start at the time when bacteria attack a decayed tooth; the decay may then infect the jawbones or gums.
Decay mostly begins in the mouth as a result of poor brushing or flossing of teeth.
Typical symptoms are fever, swelling in the gums, redness in the gums, tooth pain, mouth pain, inability to close mouth etc. Also hot food or chewing may give severe pain. If you are running high temperature it’s time to call the doctor.
Mouth abscess treatment may include one or more of the following options:
If the infection is between the tooth and gum area, your dentist may most likely try to drain the pus out first.
To do this procedure the dentist may numb the area around the infected part so that you don’t feel the pain while he is performing this minor surgery on you.
After this pus removal surgery, cleaning of the area and some antibiotics, healing process starts.
But the abscess can recur as a result of bad brushing or oral hygiene. May be your doctor will recommend cleaning aids to help you take care of these areas.
If the infection is at the root of the tooth your doctor may decide to do root canal therapy. If after the therapy also the infection continues to be there other advanced treatments may be advised.
Like, surgically removing the infected or diseased tissue. If this procedure also does not bring relief, the last resort is that the dentist may have to pull the tooth out and replace it with a ceramic tooth or denture.
You may also be prescribed antibiotics to reduce discomfort and stop infection along with the above procedure or as stand-alone.
Home Remedy Mouth Abscess Treatments
Some mouth abscess treatments that can be done at home are rinsing your mouth with warm water every hour to reduce pain.
Take over-the-counter-pain killers to get temporary relief from the pain, put ice on the paining are for 15 minutes every hour or two can also subside the pain to some extent.
After the doctor has drained the pus until the next sitting, keep that area free of food particles by cleaning it thoroughly. If you have been prescribed a course of medicines, always complete the course.
Don’t Stop Taking Medicines Just Because You Are Feeling Better
Many of us do it. Leave the medicine course half way. If you want to get over the pain leaving it mid way is okay but if you want to get it over with, complete the course.
The best treatment for mouth abscess is of course that you prevent it from happening.
Brush regularly, keep them plaque-free, floss regularly and reduce sugar consumption.
