When the bacteria have invaded the root canal, chamber, and root, they multiply and produce toxins [poisons] which cause pain, and swelling as these toxins pour through the end of the root canal into the surrounding bone. The body tries to defend itself from this bacterial attack and sends the cavalry into battle. The cavalry are the protective cells in the blood which defeat invaders, they are called 'white blood corpuscles'.

Dental abscess is an inflammation caused by the formation of pus. Pus is a substance composed of bacteria, dead cells and other microorganisms. There are two main types of oral cavity abscesses. Dental abscess is an inflammation of the tooth pulp. It generally results from a caries, or tooth decay. Pus forms at the tip of the tooth root. Gingival abscess is an inflammation of the gums, resulting from typical gum diseases such as periodontitis.

Your dentist will take a routine X-Ray to check on your teeth, roots and bone every 2-5 years. It is possible and not unusual to find quite large infections in the jaw bone with no outward symptoms at all, not even minimal discomfort. The infection in the jaw bone around the end of the root is caused by bacteria and toxins leaking out of the end of the root. The body's defences are containing the infection, but only just.

Abscesses occur when an area of tissue becomes infected and the body is able to "wall off" the infection and keep it from spreading. White blood cells migrate through the walls of the blood vessels into the area of the infection and collect within the damaged tissue. During this process, pus forms (an accumulation of fluid, living and dead white blood cells, dead tissue, and bacteria or other foreign invaders or materials).

Antibiotics are often given to aid the cure of an abscess but the real cure is generally surgical. A doctor wouud open the thing up and allow the pus to drain, then the body would take care of the infection. Some have even gone so far as to "drain" their own abscesses by inserting a needle/syringe into the abscessed area and drawing out the accumulated pus, although this is not recommended.

An abscess will frequently break open and drain on its own. In this case, clean the wound with hydrogen peroxide. You can also apply a topical antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin. If it does not break open and drain on its own and becomes hard and continues to grow, wait for a scab to appear on the surface and gently squeeze it, popping the scab allowing the old pus to be forced out. Clean the wound as described above.

Pain from dental abscess is usually quite severe. It is throbbing and continuous, and intensifies when chewing or lying down.

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Teeth are individual members and do not share the same pulpal blood or nerve supply. 99% of teeth requiring root canal treatment have bacterial contamination with the source of the bacteria being the mouth. Multiple abcessed teeth may occur, but each tooth has been compromised separately. Systemic infection from an abcess does not occur in people with a healthy immune system, nor does the infection throw out "seeds" of infection that localize in other parts of your body.

Everyone knows what an abscess is, and how painful it can be, and how ill it can make you feel. In the past, drainage of an abscess inside your chest or abdomen would have required an open operation. Now it is possible to drain abscesses by inserting a fine plastic tube, called a drainage catheter, into it through the skin, with only a tiny incision. This procedure is called percutaneous (through the skin) abscess drainage.

A specially trained doctor called a radiologist. Radiologists have special expertise in using x-ray and scanning equipment, and also in interpreting the images produced. They need to look at these images while carrying out the procedure.

You need to be an in-patient in the hospital. You will probably be asked not to eat for four hours beforehand, though you may be told you can drink some water. You may receive a sedative to relieve anxiety, as well as an antibiotic. You will be asked to put on a hospital gown. If you have any allergies, you must let your doctor know. If you have previously reacted to intravenous contrast medium, the dye used for kidney x-rays and CT scanning, then you must also tell your doctor about this.

There are no set guidelines as to who is a candidate but anyone of the following candidates should be preferred for CT guided drainage:

If a Bartholin gland cyst is not infected, a painless lump in the vulva area is the most common symptom. You may notice redness or swelling in the vulva area. A cyst can swell from 0.25 in. (0.64 cm) up to 3 in. (7.62 cm). You may find the cyst on your own, or your health professional may notice it during a physical exam. If a Bartholin gland cyst becomes infected, it forms an abscess that can grow in size over 2 to 4 days and is usually very painful.

You will lie on the x-ray or scanning table, in the position that the radiologist has decided is most suitable. You need to have a needle put into a vein in your arm, so that the radiologist can give you a sedative to relax you, or painkillers. You may also have a monitoring device attached to your chest and finger, and may receive oxygen through small tubes in your nose. The radiologist will keep everything as sterile as possible, and may wear a theatre gown and operating gloves.

You may get congestion of the breasts after 3 to 4 days of delivery. As soon as you feel that your breasts are becoming taut, remove some of the milk by expressing it with your hands. If you like, you may drink this valuable expressed milk instead of throwing it away. Unrestricted feeding or demand feeding a baby would also help to prevent engorgement. Even if your breasts develop an infection, it is safe to continue breastfeeding the baby.