Health Blog

A tooth abscess is a very painful dental condition. This is basically a condition where there is irreversible inflammation of the pulp tissue that is present in the root canal. This occurs when tooth decay progresses from the enamel into the dentin and then, the pulp. When the pulp tissue gets inflamed, it leads to pulpitis, which manifests in the form of pain and the production of pus in the root canal. Given below are some more abscessed tooth symptoms which will help you identify this condition at the earliest.

Tooth Abscess Symptoms

One of the first abscessed tooth symptoms is usually pain when chewing. Any kind of direct vertical force that falls on the surface of the tooth leads to pain.

A person may complain of an increase in pain when lying down or when in supine position. At times, he may also complain of pain at all times, which may be throbbing in nature or may be dull aching in nature. This means that there is a lot of pus which is causing a buildup of pressure inside the root canal of the tooth. Read more on abscess tooth symptoms.

A person usually complains of sensitivity to hot and cold food as well. This symptom of caries reaching the dentin and the pain is usually bearable at that stage. However, when caries reach the pulp, it causes further aggravation of pain due to hot or cold stimulus.

A person may complain of abnormal taste in the mouth. He may experience a bad or foul taste in his mouth, which may eventually also lead to loss of appetite.

Invariably, the lymph glands present around the region of the abscessed tooth tend to become slightly swollen and tender. The lymph nodes present here may be painful on palpation.

Swollen lymph nodes are specially seen when there is a tooth abscess associated with wisdom teeth. In such cases, a person may even have difficulty in opening the mouth or jaw, due to pain present near the corners of the mouth or around the angle of the jaw. This could lead to limited mouth opening, which in turn, could lead to anxiety.

At times, a person may even have certain systemic abscessed tooth symptoms, like fever, irritation, loss of appetite, etc.

Bad breath or halitosis is also one of the common abscessed tooth symptoms. This is especially seen just after a meal or when a person just wakes up in the morning.

There is often redness and swelling of gums that are seen just adjacent to the tooth or near the root tip, that is, where the root ends. This swelling may be tender to touch and generally has diffused borders. It may even appear red or slightly white or pale due to the presence of pus. Read more on swollen gums.

The swelling present around the tip of the root may burst open, leaving a draining sore near the periapical region.

If a person has abscessed tooth symptoms without the presence of any kind of tooth infection or dental caries, then it means he has a periodontal abscess. This occurs when a person brushes very vigorously and forces a foreign particle to get lodged in the gums. In such cases, there may be an abscess present not directly at the tip of the root of the tooth, but there may instead be swollen gums around tooth.

These were some of the abscessed tooth symptoms which can help you identify this dental condition. This is a serious condition, as any kind of infection that reaches the gums and the periapical region has high chances of spreading into the adjoining areas and spaces. This could lead to very serious complications like . Hence, it is always best to diagnose and treat a tooth abscess at the earliest, so as to prevent any further complications.

What is high blood pressure?

Imagine that your arteries are pipes that carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body. High blood pressure (hypertension) occurs when your blood moves through your arteries at a higher pressure than normal.

High blood pressure that can be linked to a specific cause, such as a disease or drug, is called secondary hypertension. But most often the exact cause isn't known. When the cause isn't known, the high blood pressure is called essential hypertension. Your blood pressure changes often during the day depending on many factors. Therefore, your blood pressure may need to be taken several times in a quiet setting, while you are comfortable, in order to assess your blood pressure better. Doctors need to assess if you have high blood pressure to prevent heart disease and stroke. You should have your blood pressure taken once every year or two by your doctor.

What do the numbers for blood pressure mean?

Blood pressure is really two numbers written with a slash, such as 120/80. You may also hear someone say a blood pressure is "120 over 80."

The first number is the systolic blood pressure. This is the peak blood pressure when your heart is squeezing blood out. The second number is the diastolic blood pressure. It's the pressure when your heart is filling with blood - relaxing between beats. A normal blood pressure is less than 120/80. High blood pressure is when your blood pressure is 140/90 or higher.

A healthy adult with a blood pressure of less than 120 over 80 is at less risk for getting some health problems over the long run. A blood pressure reading of more than 140 over 90 (or 160 over 90 if you are over the age of 65) will need to come down to safer levels. New goals for best blood pressure readings vary by your health status. The current target values for the following conditions are :