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Original poster

Has anyone had a gum abscess? Was your tooth extracted?

44 replies

Freemysoup · 05/01/2024 06:15

I'll be calling the dentist this morning as soon as it opens. But I'm really worried. I've had slight pain on my gum since 2 days and have been using a slat rinse but yesterday it swelled up and feels sore and the tooth is throbbing slightly too.

Google tells me it might be an abscess and root canal or tooth extraction is the treatment. Tbh I am panicking and have become really anxious as I have a fear of the dentist as it is.

Is extraction or root canal the only options. I am so so dreading going this morning and I can't sleep for worrying.

OP posts:
Sadless · 05/01/2024 06:20

I am not sure but I don’t think they can do any work if you have an abscess you will need antibiotics first .

Sadless · 05/01/2024 06:21

Can’t do any work sorry

Original poster
Freemysoup · 05/01/2024 06:28

@Sadless ah yes, I get that the abscess will need to heal before any work but it's not anxiety is making me worry about the future treatment of the tooth! I'm dreading them telling me I need a root canal.

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Duckingfun · 05/01/2024 06:30

In my experience I had the tooth pulled and was then given antibiotics.

MarathonBarbie · 05/01/2024 06:31

Yes. Had an absolute nightmare with a botched filling repair during lockdown and repeated repairs/infections then eventually an abscess causing my face to swell up / it was completely miserable. Finally got it taken out a few months ago and really wish I’d done that sooner rather than trying to ‘save’ the tooth.
Im also terrified of the dentist but have found a great, really sympathetic one which really helped (had to go private) and can honestly say I was shocked by how straightforward the extraction was, miles better than the situation I’d been in for months.
Hope you get it sorted and some relief soon,

daretodenim · 05/01/2024 06:32

My DS just had treatment on one yesterday. He's 12 and has had severe trauma to his teeth in the same area in the past. They didn't remove the tooth. They cleaned it out and put in some kind of filling and are hoping that they can avoid removing the tooth (can't get implants until the jaw has stopped growing so it's a very last resort).

He's not got antibiotics. It's not always necessary to have them beforehand/at all. Depends on the situation apparently. It appears it is always necessary to clean it out though - antibiotics won't clear it. I found that odd!

I hope yours is quickly and easily dealt with.

Original poster
Freemysoup · 05/01/2024 06:53

@Duckingfun omg you had it pulled without sorting the abscess out. That sounds painful!

OP posts:
Original poster
Freemysoup · 05/01/2024 06:55

@MarathonBarbie so sorry to hear that you've had a bad experience. Did you keep getting abscesses in that tooth?

OP posts:
Original poster
Freemysoup · 05/01/2024 06:57

@daretodenim yes that is weird that he didn't get any antibiotics. Wasn't it painful though just leaving it?

My pain is bearable but it has got worse so rapidly, it's quite worrying.

OP posts:
Malbecormerlot · 05/01/2024 06:59

I had an abscess when I was pregnant got antibiotics which was a palavar as I had to wait till he spoke to my doctor to see which ones I could have. Then once I had ds I got the tooth extracted wasn't offered root canal.

echt · 05/01/2024 07:05

I had an abscess in my 40s that cleared up with antibiotics.

One in my later 60s needed two rounds of antibiotics but later had to be drawn and I had an implant because the chances of success were greater than with root canal.

Duckingfun · 05/01/2024 07:15

It wasn’t too bad really, I’m lucky that I’ve never had a truly bad dentist experience. The tooth was pulled, abscess and stuff cleaned up and antibiotics given, it was bit sore but having death breath was the worst thing!

Original poster
Freemysoup · 05/01/2024 07:19

@Malbecormerlot so after you had your tooth extracted did you have an implant or just leave it?

OP posts:
Original poster
Freemysoup · 05/01/2024 07:21

@echt looks like root canal / extraction is the main treatment. I'm in my 40s too and worried that I'm going to lose all my teeth.

OP posts:
SinnerBoy · 05/01/2024 07:24

I had one on a molar, the result of a failed root canal. The dentist did it again and the third time, sent me to an expensive specialist. I didn't know what the lump on my gum was, till he told me that it was the abscess bursting through... I decided to have it extracted, several years of regular pain wasn't for me.

D20 · 05/01/2024 07:32

I grind my teeth and have lots of experience with abscess unfortunately. I have had:
No antibiotics and a root canal,
Antibiotics and a root canal,
Just antibiotics (forget the name of this one but it wasn’t on a nerve so didn’t hurt at all).

It depend on the location of the abscess. I’ve only had teeth removed where I have fractured them beyond repair and had an implant on one because it was a noticeable extraction.

letstrythatagain · 05/01/2024 07:42

Feel for you OP. I'm really not good with the dentist but it's better than being in pain. You will be ok. I'm very against root canals after a bad experience but my partner had had a few and says it's not too bad. I've had one extracted and it was totally fine 💐

CatchHimDerry · 05/01/2024 07:46

These have always ended in a root canal for me

Used to have an unholy fear of the dentist but I’ve managed to overcome it now through regularly attending, talking through it all and sympathetic dentists.

In the middle of treatment for one now. A good dentist will mean no or absolutely minimal discomfort

You’ll be ok OP, hand hold

11NigelTufnel · 05/01/2024 07:55

Mine was complicated and affected 2 teeth. Managed to save one with root canal and crown. The other was extracted and had an implant. Not cheap! I didn't want to go for the cheaper denture at this stage of life though.

SallyWD · 05/01/2024 08:04

There's a difference between a tooth abscess and a gum abscess. I've had both!
Tooth abscess: infection in the actual tooth. They usually try root canal first and if that fails they remove the tooth. I have to say it was a blessed relief when they finally removed my tooth!
Gum abscess: an infection in the gum around the tooth. I've had this for years and they treat it by deep cleaning in the gum and around the tooth. This sort of infection can eat in to the jaw bone that holds the teeth so the nearby teeth can become loose over time. This is what I'm dealing with and I've been referred to a dental hospital. They treating the deep pocket that has formed in my gum. I might need a bone graft to replace the jaw bone that has been eaten away.
A tooth abscess and a gum abscess can both present as a lump in the gum with pain. You need to see a dentist to establish what type of abscess it is.

SallyWD · 05/01/2024 08:05

All the posters above talking about root canals had tooth abscesses.

AgnesX · 05/01/2024 08:08

Root canals aren't the nicest way to spend an afternoon but better than an extraction IMO and really not that bad.

I say that as the pain of a root abscess left me just about incapable of coherent thought. I've also had a gum abscess which wasn't much better. I really wonder how people coped without antibiotics.

Coconutter24 · 05/01/2024 08:10

I had an abscess on my bottom set of teeth about 13 years ago. I had antibiotics then root canal. For years after I would get pain from the affected area and need more antibiotics. This was probably annual. I asked the dentist if I’ve had root canal why does the pain keep coming back and he said root canal is not 100% effective in getting rid of all the infection and on X-rays you can see the infection even after treatment. Over the last 4 years it’s not happened as much but I did have little niggles which I didn’t get treatment for as the pain was manageable. I said about 2 years ago next time it happens and is really bad I’m having the tooth pulled out as it’s the only way to fully sort it (but luckily hasn’t caused any issues since)

Brandyginger · 05/01/2024 08:11

I had an abscess when I was in labour (!) and as soon a as ds was born I had strong antibiotics and a few weeks later a root canal.

Justanything86 · 05/01/2024 08:12

Op I'm a dental nurse and I wouldn't start panicking. You might just have a pocket that needs flushing or have traumatised the area you need to see the dentist first so they can look and see what it is. The dentists don't give antibiotics before an extraction usually it's unnecessary.