Symptoms of Tooth Abscess

Usually when someone has sudden and intense pain in his mouth, he or she would immediately suspect a tooth abscess. But sometimes an abscess can develop slowly without really causing any pain.

An abscess is an infection that originates from either a tooth, or from the gums that surround a tooth. It can be so small that it’s only detected on an x-ray, or it might grow very big, causing swelling that might completely distort your face.

Whether there is pain or not does not necessarily depend on the size of the abscess. Pain comes from acute infections, which means infections that develop quickly. Chronic abscesses (slow infection) may grow in size for months and cause very little pain.

Here are the main symptoms that can help you become aware of having a dental abscess:

• Your gums might become red and puffy, with swelling around the infected tooth.


• Chewing food can become painful as the abscessed tooth is in contact with food or with opposing teeth.


• An abscess, which is an infection, can cause fever leading to general fatigue and even headaches.


• If swelling occurs, the pus might come out by itself and flow into your mouth. The pus’ taste is very bad, and it’s recommended to spit out the pus instead of swallowing it. There’s usually less pain after this happens.

Source: What Are the Symptoms of Having a Tooth Abscess?
Full Article: Dental Abscess
In French: Symptômes d’un abcès dentaire