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.

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

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'.

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.

Brushing children's teeth at least twice a day is very important because it establishes good oral hygiene at an early age as well as helping to prevent cavities. This easy step by step method will have your child on the right track to a good oral health regime in no time. This is a fun interactive fill in the blank activity for kids called, "What Teeth are Good for" that children can play online, provided by Dental Images.

Have you ever wondered about the history of dentistry? What did teeth used to be filled with? How was toothpaste and dental floss introduced? Who invented false teeth? Find these answers and more!

Read about the history of the first dental bridges from N.S. Gill, About's Guide to Ancient / Classical History. Our Guide to Archaeology, K. Kris Hirst, explains how teeth from a skeleton help to identify what could very well be among the earliest African Americans in the new world along with possible indications of slavery in the early 16th century between the Yucatan Penisula of Mexico and West Africa.

Generally, dental benefits are limited to service-connected dental conditions or to veterans who are permanently and totally disabled from service-connected causes. More Questions on this topic? Ask it here http://www.hadit.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1406 Yes, if you are service-connected with a disability rating of 10% or more. Otherwise, hearing aids and eyeglasses will only be provided in special circumstances and not for generally occurring hearing or vision loss.

Most people recognize dental amalgams as silver fillings. Dental amalgam is a mixture of mercury, and an alloy of silver, tin and copper. Mercury makes up about 45-50 percent of the compound. Mercury is used to bind the metals together and to provide a strong, hard durable filling. After years of research, mercury has been found to be the only element that will bind these metals together in such a way that can be easily manipulated into a tooth cavity.

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Toothache: Clean the area of the affected tooth thoroughly. Rinse the mouth vigorously with warm water or use dental floss to dislodge impacted food or debris. DO NOT place aspirin on the gum or on the aching tooth. If face is swollen apply cold compresses. Take the child to a dentist. Cut or Bitten Tongue, Lip or Cheek: Apply ice to bruised areas. If there is bleeding apply firm but gentle pressure with a gauze or cloth.

A dental hygienist is a licensed health care professional, oral health educator, and clinician who, as a cotherapist with the dentist, provides preventive, educational, and therapeutic services supporting total health for the control of oral diseases and the promotion of oral health. A registered dental hygienist has graduated from a minimum two-year college program that includes classroom studies and extensive supervised clinical experience.