The primary treatment for a tooth abscess is always surgical: drainage, root canal, or extraction. Antibiotics alone cannot cure an abscess because they can’t remove the source of the infection.

A tooth abscess is a collection of pus that forms inside a tooth or its surrounding structures. The abscess itself is one of the later stages of tooth decay, and typically occurs before tooth loss.

An untreated tooth infection can spread to other tissues in your body within weeks or months and lead to potentially life threatening complications. While rare, it is possible for a tooth infection to ...

An abscess occurs when an infection causes a pocket of pus to develop. Abscesses can develop on the skin, in the mouth, or inside the body. Bacterial infections typically cause abscesses. Pus develops ...

Toothaches are often caused by tooth decay, followed by other dental-related conditions, like gum disease, impacted wisdom teeth, or trapped food particles. Non-dental-related conditions can also ...