What are the signs of a tooth abscess. How is a tooth abscess diagnosed. What are the treatment options for a tooth abscess. Can a tooth abscess be prevented. What complications can arise from an untreated tooth abscess.

Understanding Tooth Abscesses: Types and Formation

A tooth abscess is a pocket of pus caused by a bacterial infection in or around a tooth. There are two main types of tooth abscesses:

• Periapical abscess: Occurs at the tip of the tooth root
• Periodontal abscess: Develops in the gums at the side of a tooth root

This article focuses primarily on periapical abscesses, which typically result from untreated dental cavities, injuries, or complications from prior dental work. When bacteria enter the tooth’s innermost part (dental pulp) through a cavity, chip, or crack, it can lead to infection, inflammation, and abscess formation at the root tip.

Recognizing the Symptoms of a Tooth Abscess

Identifying a tooth abscess early is crucial for prompt treatment. Common signs and symptoms include:

• Severe, constant, throbbing toothache that may radiate to the jawbone, neck, or ear
• Sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures
• Pain or discomfort when chewing or biting
• Fever
• Facial swelling, potentially affecting breathing or swallowing
• Swollen, tender lymph nodes under the jaw or in the neck
• Foul breath odor
• Sudden release of foul-smelling and tasting fluid in the mouth, accompanied by pain relief (if the abscess ruptures)

Is immediate medical attention necessary for a tooth abscess? If you experience any of these symptoms, especially fever and facial swelling, it’s crucial to see a dentist promptly. In cases where breathing or swallowing difficulties occur, seek emergency medical care as the infection may have spread to other areas of the body.

Risk Factors Contributing to Tooth Abscess Development

Several factors can increase your likelihood of developing a tooth abscess:

1. Poor dental hygiene: Inadequate brushing and flossing can lead to tooth decay and gum disease, creating an environment conducive to abscess formation.
2. High-sugar diet: Frequent consumption of sugary foods and drinks contributes to dental cavities, which can progress to abscesses if left untreated.
3. Dry mouth: Reduced saliva production, often a side effect of certain medications or age-related issues, increases the risk of tooth decay and subsequent abscess formation.

How can you mitigate these risk factors? Maintaining good oral hygiene habits, limiting sugar intake, and addressing dry mouth issues can significantly reduce your risk of developing a tooth abscess.

Diagnosis and Treatment Options for Tooth Abscesses

Proper diagnosis and timely treatment are essential for managing tooth abscesses effectively. Dentists typically employ the following approaches:

Diagnosis

• Visual examination of the affected area
• Tapping on the tooth to check for sensitivity
• X-rays to determine the extent of the infection

Treatment

1. Draining the abscess: The dentist may make a small incision to drain the pus and relieve pressure.
2. Root canal treatment: This procedure involves removing the infected pulp, cleaning the root canal system, and sealing it to prevent further infection.
3. Tooth extraction: In severe cases where the tooth cannot be saved, extraction may be necessary.
4. Antibiotics: These may be prescribed to control the infection, especially if it has spread beyond the abscess site.

Can a tooth abscess heal on its own? While the pain may subside if the abscess ruptures, professional dental treatment is still necessary to address the underlying infection and prevent complications.

Potential Complications of Untreated Tooth Abscesses

Leaving a tooth abscess untreated can lead to serious health risks, including:

• Spread of infection to surrounding tissues and bones
• Development of a sinus infection if the abscess is near the maxillary sinus
• Sepsis, a life-threatening systemic infection
• Increased risk of complications for individuals with weakened immune systems

Why is prompt treatment crucial for tooth abscesses? Timely intervention not only alleviates pain but also prevents the infection from spreading to other parts of the body, potentially avoiding life-threatening complications.

Preventive Measures to Avoid Tooth Abscesses

Preventing tooth abscesses primarily involves maintaining good oral hygiene and adopting healthy habits:

1. Brush teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste
2. Floss or use a water flosser daily
3. Replace your toothbrush regularly (every 3-4 months)
4. Consume a balanced diet low in sugar
5. Schedule regular dental check-ups and cleanings
6. Consider using an antiseptic or fluoride mouth rinse for added protection
7. Drink fluoridated water when possible

How effective are these preventive measures? Consistently following these practices can significantly reduce your risk of developing tooth decay and subsequent abscesses, promoting overall oral health.

Understanding Skin Abscesses: A Related Condition

While this article focuses on tooth abscesses, it’s worth noting that skin abscesses are a related condition. A skin abscess is a painful lump on the skin containing pus. While some skin abscesses may resolve on their own, others require medical intervention.

What are the key differences between tooth and skin abscesses? The main distinctions lie in their location, cause, and treatment approach. Tooth abscesses occur within or around teeth due to dental issues, while skin abscesses form on the skin’s surface, often resulting from bacterial infections or blocked hair follicles.

The Importance of Oral Health in Overall Well-being

Maintaining good oral health is crucial not only for preventing tooth abscesses but also for overall well-being. Poor oral hygiene has been linked to various health issues, including:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Respiratory infections
• Diabetes complications
• Pregnancy complications
• Cognitive decline in older adults

How does oral health impact overall health? The mouth serves as a gateway to the body, and bacteria from oral infections can enter the bloodstream, potentially affecting other organs and systems. By prioritizing oral hygiene and addressing dental issues promptly, you can contribute to better overall health and quality of life.

In conclusion, understanding tooth abscesses, their causes, symptoms, and treatment options is essential for maintaining good oral health. By recognizing the signs of a tooth abscess early and seeking prompt dental care, you can prevent serious complications and protect your overall well-being. Remember that prevention is key – adopting good oral hygiene habits and scheduling regular dental check-ups can go a long way in keeping your smile healthy and abscess-free.

Tooth abscess – Symptoms & causes

Overview

A tooth abscess is a pocket of pus that’s caused by a bacterial infection. The abscess can occur at different areas near the tooth for different reasons. A periapical (per-e-AP-ih-kul) abscess occurs at the tip of the root. A periodontal (per-e-o-DON-tul) abscess occurs in the gums at the side of a tooth root. The information here is about periapical abscesses.

A periapical tooth abscess usually occurs as a result of an untreated dental cavity, an injury or prior dental work. The resulting infection with irritation and swelling (inflammation) can cause an abscess at the tip of the root.

Dentists will treat a tooth abscess by draining it and getting rid of the infection. They may be able to save your tooth with a root canal treatment. But in some cases the tooth may need to be pulled. Leaving a tooth abscess untreated can lead to serious, even life-threatening, complications.

Periapical tooth abscess

Bacteria can enter the innermost part of the tooth through either a deep cavity or a chip or crack in your tooth. The resulting infection and inflammation can cause an abscess at the tip of the root.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of a tooth abscess include:

• Severe, constant, throbbing toothache that can spread to your jawbone, neck or ear
• Pain or discomfort with hot and cold temperatures
• Pain or discomfort with the pressure of chewing or biting
• Fever
• Swelling in your face, cheek or neck that may lead to difficulty breathing or swallowing
• Tender, swollen lymph nodes under your jaw or in your neck
• Foul odor in your mouth
• Sudden rush of foul-smelling and foul-tasting, salty fluid in your mouth and pain relief, if the abscess ruptures

When to see a doctor

See your dentist promptly if you have any signs or symptoms of a tooth abscess.

If you have a fever and swelling in your face and you can’t reach your dentist, go to an emergency room. Also go to the emergency room if you have trouble breathing or swallowing. These symptoms may indicate that the infection has spread deeper into your jaw, throat or neck or even to other areas of your body.

Causes

A periapical tooth abscess occurs when bacteria invade the dental pulp. The pulp is the innermost part of the tooth that contains blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue.

Bacteria enter through either a dental cavity or a chip or crack in the tooth and spread all the way down to the root. The bacterial infection can cause swelling and inflammation at the tip of the root.

Risk factors

These factors may increase your risk of a tooth abscess:

• Poor dental habits and care. Not taking proper care of your teeth and gums — such as not brushing your teeth twice a day and not flossing — can increase your risk of dental problems. Problems may include tooth decay, gum disease, tooth abscess, and other dental and mouth complications.
• A diet high in sugar. Frequently eating and drinking foods rich in sugar, such as sweets and sodas, can contribute to dental cavities and turn into a tooth abscess.
• Dry mouth. Having a dry mouth can increase your risk of tooth decay. Dry mouth is often due to the side effect of certain medications or issues related to aging.

Complications

A tooth abscess won’t go away without treatment. If the abscess ruptures, the pain may improve a lot, making you think that the problem has gone away — but you still need to get dental treatment.

If the abscess doesn’t drain, the infection may spread to your jaw and to other areas of your head and neck. If the tooth is located near the maxillary sinus — two large spaces under your eyes and behind your cheeks — you can also develop an opening between the tooth abscess and the sinus. This can cause an infection in the sinus cavity. You might even develop sepsis — a life-threatening infection that spreads throughout your body.

If you have a weakened immune system and you leave a tooth abscess untreated, your risk of a spreading infection increases even more.

Prevention

Avoiding tooth decay is essential to preventing a tooth abscess. Take good care of your teeth to avoid tooth decay:

• Drink water that contains fluoride.
• Brush your teeth for two minutes at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.
• Use dental floss or a water flosser to clean between your teeth on a daily basis.
• Replace your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months, or whenever the bristles are frayed.
• Eat healthy food, limiting sugary items and between-meal snacks.
• Visit your dentist regularly for checkups and professional cleanings.
• Consider using an antiseptic or a fluoride mouth rinse to add an extra layer of protection against tooth decay.

Skin abscess – NHS

A skin abscess is a painful lump on the skin that contains pus. Some abscesses go away by themselves, but you may need to get treatment from a GP.

Check if you have a skin abscess

A skin abscess is a lump or swelling on your skin that contains pus. There are different types and they can appear anywhere on your body.

A skin abscess will often be round and feel painful and warm. The middle of the lump may feel soft when touched.

Pus may leak from the abscess and you may have a high temperature.

On white skin, an abscess will often appear red. The colour of an abscess may be harder to see on brown and black skin.

Credit:

Zay Nyi Nyi / Alamy Stock Photo: https://www.alamy.com/large-carbuncle-or-abscess-at-forearm-of-asian-burmese-male-patient-image463724256.html?imageid=69C6F365-AF39-4F78-93C1-3D6D637BE3DF&p=1295683&pn=1&searchId=4a7d479b79736515b93d9424d30356c3&searchtype=0

Credit:

Zay Nyi Nyi / Alamy Stock Photo: https://www. alamy.com/large-carbuncle-or-abscess-at-trunk-of-asian-burmese-male-patient-image443693289.html?imageid=F279679E-5A66-4511-AC66-D73D96F25AC5&p=1295683&pn=1&searchId=e44bfaee7c7d2fe650d67350ad47df65&searchtype=0

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if you have:

• a lump that is getting bigger
• a lump anywhere on your body that lasts more than 2 weeks
• a lump that is hard and does not move
• a lump or swelling in your breast
• a lump and you have a weakened immune system or a long-term condition such as diabetes

A GP can check what could be causing the lump and if you need treatment.

Urgent advice: Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you have:

• a lump that is painful, red or hot, or you feel hot and shivery
• swelling or redness spreading away from the lump – the redness may be harder to see on brown or black skin

You can call 111 or get help from NHS 111 online.

Treatments for skin abscesses

Treatment for a skin abscess will depend on what type of abscess you have.

The abscess may need be drained to get rid of the pus. This usually involves a small operation to make a cut in the skin which will allow the pus to drain. You may be given a local anaesthetic so you do not feel anything when the abscess is drained.

You may also be given antibiotics if the abscess is infected.

Causes of skin abscesses

Skin abscesses are usually caused by an infection.

It’s normal to have bacteria on your skin without it causing an infection. However, bacteria can sometimes get into your skin, for example through a cut or along a hair follicle. This can cause pus to form, creating an abscess.

You may be more likely to get skin abscesses if you:

• smoke
• are living with obesity
• have diabetes
• are between 15 and 40 years old
• have a skin condition or inflammation such as eczema

Page last reviewed: 02 June 2023
Next review due: 02 June 2026

Two very strange planets alarmed scientists

We are talking about planets in the constellation Lyra – in the system of the red dwarf Kepler-138, it is almost half the size of the Sun and is located 219 light years from us. On a galactic scale, it can be said to be in the neighborhood. A total of four worlds have been spotted near this star (one of which has not yet been confirmed), including the smallest of all that have been seen through telescopes to date – similar in size to Mars. With this, everything is more or less clear, at least scientists can quite confidently say that this planet has a solid surface. And as it turns out, this question alone can be a puzzle for astronomers, because the other two planets are something completely unseen.

The fact is that one of the surest ways to find a planet near a star is to notice how it passes over its disk, that is, the so-called transit method. And at the moment when the planet is in transit in front of its star, it is possible not only to fix the very fact of its existence, but also to determine the main properties. By how much a star temporarily dims because of this planet, one can understand its size. By the intensity of the star’s rotation around the center of mass common with the planet, one can judge the mass of the planet. Further, the mass is compared with the size, and thus an idea is created about the density of the celestial body. And the density allows you to guess what, in fact, the planet consists of.

Comparison of the size and composition of the Earth and one of the planets of the Kepler-138 system. Photo © NASA / University of Montreal / Benoit Gougeon

And scientists are used to seeing two main types of planets in space: gas and rocky. Gas, as a rule, very large, rocky relatively small. And now let’s see what is known about the mysterious Kepler-138c and Kepler-138d. Size: about one and a half times the size of the Earth. Mass: twice the size of the Earth, namely 2.3 and 2.1 masses of our planet, respectively. And from this, the density of both worlds is about 3.6 grams per cubic centimeter. For comparison, the Earth has 5.5 grams per cubic centimeter, Jupiter has 1.33 grams, and Saturn has 0.69.grams (it is lighter than water, by the way). Mars has 3.93 grams, but it is much smaller than Earth.

That is, the two planets of the Kepler-138 system look like they are clearly not gas and obviously not stone. What then? Scientists have only one version: they are aquatic. The density of water is approximately 1 gram per cubic centimeter. This means that these worlds do not consist entirely of water, but more than half. They should have solid, stone-metal cores inside, surrounded by a continuous global ocean with a depth of about two thousand kilometers. On Earth, by the way, the average depth of the oceans is 3.7 kilometers.

In principle, celestial bodies completely covered with water are well known even here, in the solar system: take, for example, Jupiter’s moon Europa or Saturn’s moon Enceladus. But only between them and the planets, Kepler-138 has one amazing difference: Europa and Enceladus are covered with a thick, many-kilometer-long ice crust, and already under it, according to all data, the global ocean is hiding. And in this case, on two distant planets, according to measurements, all water is in a liquid state. Moreover, a thick, water vapor-rich atmosphere is suspected above the surface.

Such planets-oceans can exist only in one case: if they are at the most favorable distance from the star – not too close (then the oceans will evaporate) and not too far (they will freeze). This is called the habitable zone, that is, the zone in which understandable, known to us life can exist on the planet. It must be said that these two bottomless oceans are much closer to their luminary than Mercury is to the Sun, but the luminary itself, as already mentioned, is small and dim. So the water worlds are located, apparently, as comfortably as possible.

Maybe this is not a planet: Scientists have found a strange object in space and cannot understand what it is

Adel Romanenkova

• Articles
• Universe
• Science and Technology 900 24

Comments: 0

For commenting log in!

Molecular changes in the brain found in patients who died from coronavirus are similar to those seen in chronic mental disorders

A common place in discussions about the impact of coronavirus on the health of people infected with it is the mention of neurological and psychiatric symptoms that occur during the manifestation of infection and after recovery. I recently devoted a separate post to this topic (

https://www.rmj.ru/blog/Viktor_Lebedev/v-dvukh-krupnykh-issledovaniyakh-utochneny-neyropsikhiatricheskie-simp/ ). At the same time, the molecular basis for the development of these traits is not completely clear. First, we are still collecting information about the coronavirus infection and its consequences. Secondly, disorders in the functioning of the brain (especially at the molecular level) remain a difficult object to study. We can take data from model organisms, or we can be guided by data that we can collect from the study of people who have already died. The information obtained by the latter method is discussed in this article.

The work under discussion contains information obtained from the analysis of brain samples of deceased people. They were collected from patients who died from the coronavirus. Also, for comparison, brain tissue samples were taken from people who died for other reasons, including from the flu. As a method, transcriptomic technologies were used to analyze the composition of RNA in tissues. These data directly reflect the work of cells during the pathological process that led to the death of a person. This is more indirect data than direct information, but nevertheless it is already something for our research purposes.

One of the questions about the coronavirus infection, which has long been sought for an answer, is the following: does the virus penetrate into the brain tissue, causing local inflammation there, or are neurological symptoms due to other reasons? The study failed to detect RNA traces of the virus in the brain. However, the information obtained allowed us to assert that during a coronavirus infection (at least in its severe course, which led to death), the choroid plexuses of the brain become a key site for damage to the central nervous system. Most likely, they accumulate and transmit inflammatory mediators, such as interleukins, to the brain. Also, peripheral T cells penetrate the brain parenchyma, which means that the brain’s own immune system is not responsible for neurological disorders and psychiatric symptoms. These ideas have been voiced before, but now they have received a specific molecular justification.

However, “locals” also have a place in pathological processes. With coronavirus, changes occur in microglia and astrocytes. These two types of cells provide nutrition and structure to neurons and are also involved in synaptic signaling. The changes in these cells are similar to those that occur in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. This is consistent with the fact that coronavirus infection may be a driver of the neurodegenerative process. In addition, the coronavirus affects specific subpopulations of neurons associated with cognitive abilities. The molecular changes seen in fatal coronavirus infections overlap with those seen in schizophrenia and depression.

It is obvious that we cannot fully transfer the information obtained from deceased patients to those who survived the coronavirus infection. It can be cautiously assumed that the differences in impairments will be quantitative rather than qualitative. Thus, we look even further into the abyss of information that the consequences of coronavirus infection for humans represent.