If you suspect that you have a dental abscess see your New York dentist in a New York minute. This severe infection is nothing to mess around with. Under the right collection of the wrong circumstances a dental abscess can even lead to death. In that scenario the infection spreads to the throat and can cause swelling bad enough for suffocation to occur.

1. What Are Dental Abscesses And How Would a New
York Dentist Treat Them?
If you suspect that you have a dental abscess see your New York dentist in a New York minute. This
severe infection is nothing to mess around with. Under the right collection of the wrong circumstances a
dental abscess can even lead to death. In that scenario the infection spreads to the throat and can cause
swelling bad enough for suffocation to occur.
Two types of infection are of concern to dentists. One is periapical abscess, the most frequently
occurring kind. This one begins in the dental pulp. An abscess that starts in bones or other tissues that
surround teeth is called periodontal abscess. Fluid typically collects in this soft gum tissue making the
area extremely painful.
Most of these dental abscesses are caused when the formation of a cavity is not interrupted and
continues to sink ever deeper into the tooth structures. Finally, the pulp tissue inside the root is involved
and becomes infected. This pulp tissue dies and worsens the infection.
Other possible causes of dental abscesses are cracks in teeth or even periodontal disease. Regardless of
the causes the extent of the dental abscess has the possibility of becoming very widespread. Bone and
soft tissue can become involved. A condition known as septicemia or blood infection may result from a
dental abscess that spreads to the contiguous blood vessels.
Septicemia as well as Ludwig's Angina which can result in an airway constriction may result, albeit
infrequently, from dental abscesses. Both of these are very serious outcomes and require emergency
medical care.
Two traditional treatments exist for dental abscesses before more serious problems result. The first is
extraction of the tooth. The second is a root canal which is the combination of a pulp removal
(pulpectomy) followed by root filling. This filling material is not of the amalgam type used in surface
teeth cavities. Rather a plastic called isoprene is melted and pored into the treated root. The whole
process requires at least two office visits with a specialist called an endodontist. The second
appointment usually is needed to place a cap on the treated tooth.
All-in-all any treatment for abscess is unpleasant at best. Pain relievers and antibiotics may help some
before treatment but the extraction or root canal must still be scheduled. Only a very foolish person
would neglect this needed treatment. Time will not heal this wound. The exact opposite is likely! The
abscess can spread and cause other more serious problems.
Cost is a considerable issue in regards to treating a dental abscess with a root canal. This procedure can
cost as much as $1500 in the USA. Many American dental insurers will only pay up to 50% of this cost.
The remainder is a serious drain on most budgets. If more than one tooth is abscessed the cost of
treatment becomes very high, as does the level of physical pain.
By contrast most dentists can treat dental abscesses with extraction for relatively low cost. There are
many other considerations that must be taken into account before electing between these two

2. treatments. One is that a root canal may not solve the problem for very long. The tooth can still decay
further and may eventually still need to be extracted.
Either way this or other issues may be discussed in an office appointment with New York dentist.
There are certain things we can just ignore but dental abscess is not one of them. Contact Kelly B
Wettstein immediately once you suspect a dental abscess because if you left it untreated, things can get
worse. The infection could spread not only orally but to your major organs bringing about ugly
complications and even death.
Infections are always a big deal for dentists as they know how powerful it is. Let us discuss the two kinds
of infections that dentists are worried about. The first one is periapical abscess which begins in the
dental pulp. The other one is what we call periodontal abscess. The difference of this abscess with the
first one is that instead of the dental pulp, it starts with the bones or the tissues that surround the teeth.
This one gives painful sensation to the patient as fluids collect in the gum tissue as it swells.
If you are already wondering about the cause, this is primarily due to the continuous sinking of tooth
cavity in tooth structures. This means that there is already a cavity present but nothing was done to
treat it. Hence, the pulp tissue becomes infected and eventually the pulp tissue dies.
That is not the only source of dental abscess. If you are previously diagnosed with periodontal disease,
or if the dentist was able to identify appearance of cracks in your teeth, you are at risk. The cause does
not determine the extent of damage the infection can bring about. Whether it is due to cavity, crack or
periodontal disease the bones and surrounding tissues can become infected. Again, regardless of the
cause, dental abscesses can lead to septicemia or what we know as infection in the blood. This can
happen when the bacteria from the dental abscess travel through the blood vessels and are being
circulated in the entire body. Septicemia together with Ludwig’s Angina can cause constriction of airway
and eventually death; but this is a rare case. Nonetheless, we should be very vigilant in terms of
protecting ourselves from these serious complications.
There is no reason for us to panic because of this for there are proven treatments to address this
concern as what the expert Dr Kelly Wettstein said. The patient can just have his tooth extracted (yes, as
simple as that) or the patient can get a root canal. Root canal with pulpectomy (this is the process
wherein the infected pulp is also removed) followed by root filling is the more sophisticated way of
treating dental abscess. An amalgam will not be used for this case because the dentist (and even
patients) opt the use of plastic isoprene. The isoprene will then be melted and applied to the affected
area. The second treatment choice will require 2 clinical visit with an endodontist: first for the entire
procedure and the next for polishing the previous regimen and placing cap.
The treatment may not be as comfortable as it seems and that is why Kelly B Wettstein usually prescribe
pain relievers in addition to the antibiotics before the course of treatment. Yes, you do not have any
excuse to avoid this. You might also be concerned with the price of the said dental procedure but you
need not worry as well. Dentists give considerable rate depending on the extent of damage
(approximately around $1,500 in United States). Apart from that, patients can contact their dental
insurers to help them with the budget. If you really cannot afford it, go back to the first option I gave
you – simply extracting the affected tooth as this procedure is way more affordable.

3. One important piece of advice, deciding on your treatment regimen should not be done haphazardly –
be it extraction or the longer process, you have to check the pros and the cons first. And you can do it by
talking with Dr Kelly B Wettstein. Please visit our website at New York dentist for more details.
Dr. Kelly B. Wettstein, DMD
Originally from Oregon, Dr. Wettstein grew up on a farm. He received a Bachelors of Science
Degree and then graduated from Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine
in the top 10% of his class. An avid believer in the importance of continuing education, Dr.
Wettstein has completed extensive ongoing certifications, including becoming certified as a
provider of implant dentistry, Invisalign technology, and the 6 Month Braces techniques.
Please visit http://www.affinitydentalaz.com/dr-kelly-wettstein for more information.