How to stop a abscess tooth from hurting

A dental abscess needs urgent dental treatment; pain relief is temporary while the dentist drains infection and treats its source.

An abscess is a collection of pus caused by bacterial infection, often around a tooth root or in the gum. Decay can inflame and kill the dental pulp, allowing infection through the root canal, while gum pockets and trauma can create other routes.

Keep the area clean with a soft brush and avoid squeezing, puncturing, or heating the swelling. A dentist may use an examination and dental radiograph to locate the source, then provide drainage, root canal treatment, extraction, or other treatment; antibiotics are selected when the clinical findings indicate a spreading infection or systemic involvement.

Contact an urgent dental service promptly for toothache with a gum lump, facial swelling, pus, fever, or difficulty biting. Go to emergency medical care immediately for trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling near the eye or neck, confusion, or rapidly spreading facial swelling.

Ask where the infection began, whether the tooth can be restored, and whether drainage, root canal treatment, or extraction is indicated. Ask how to take any prescribed medicine, what warning signs require emergency care, and when the definitive treatment will be completed.