How To Tell If You Have A Tooth Infection

Sure, a trip to the dentist will certainly tell you if you have an infection in your tooth. However, not everyone has the insurance, the money, or the time to go to the dentist on a whim. In order to help you decide if you might have an infection that requires professional dental care, you will want to review the following signs of an infection.

Bad Breath

Bad breath can be the result of many things, including improper brushing and flossing. However, if you are making sure that you are taking the time to brush, floss, and use mouth wash, and your breath still has a foul odor to it, you might have a tooth infection. The smell is usually a result of a severe bacterial infection that has started to leak into your mouth, causing the bad breath.

Of course, you might not even realize that you have bad breath because you are used to it. If you suspect that you may have trouble, you could ask a close trusted friend or family member to take a whiff.

An Open Sore On The Gums

You might have an infection that started in your tooth, but it can quickly spread when it is not promptly treated. If you have recently looked in the mirror and noticed that you have an open sore on the side of your gums, you most likely have an infection. The infection starts to spread and ends up looking for escape routes. Even if you think that the sore needs to simply close up because the pus already came out, you will need dental help. The infection is most likely still present in the tooth and possibly throughout your entire mouth. It could even spread to your blood.

Pain While Chewing

A slight sensitivity when chewing that rarely happens is one thing. Consistent pain while chewing is something different. You are putting pressure on your tooth when you are chewing. That amount of pressure is causing the build up of infection to push on the nerves within your tooth. The longer you ignore this sign, the worse it will get. You could find that it has become too painful to even brush that tooth or the surrounding teeth.

If you find yourself experiencing even one of the previously mentioned signs, you will want to contact an emergency dentist, like those at Plaza Family Dentistry, right away. This is not something you want to wait a couple of weeks for, as infections can spread fast and you have no way of knowing just how severe your infection is at this time.