A tooth abscess is a pocket of pus that's caused by a bacterial infection. The abscess can occur at different regions of the tooth for different reasons. A periapical (per-e-AP-ih-kul) abscess occurs at the tip of the root, whereas a periodontal (per-e-o-DON-tul) abscess occurs in the gums at the side of a tooth root. The information here refers specifically to periapical abscesses.

A periapical tooth abscess usually occurs as a result of an untreated dental cavity, an injury or prior dental work.

Dentists will treat a tooth abscess by draining it and getting rid of the infection. They may be able to save your tooth with a root canal treatment, but in some cases the tooth may need to be pulled. Leaving a tooth abscess untreated can lead to serious, even life-threatening, complications.

Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of a tooth abscess include:

Severe, persistent, throbbing toothache that can radiate to the jawbone, neck or ear
Sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures
Sensitivity to the pressure of chewing or biting
Fever
Swelling in your face or cheek
Tender, swollen lymph nodes under your jaw or in your neck
Sudden rush of foul-smelling and foul-tasting, salty fluid in your mouth and pain relief, if the abscess ruptures
Difficulty breathing or swallowing
When to see a doctor
See your dentist promptly if you have any signs or symptoms of a tooth abscess.

If you have a fever and swelling in your face and you can't reach your dentist, go to an emergency room. Also go to the emergency room if you have trouble breathing or swallowing. These symptoms may indicate that the infection has spread deeper into your jaw and surrounding tissue or even to other areas of your body.

Causes
A periapical tooth abscess occurs when bacteria invade the dental pulp — the innermost part of the tooth that contains blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue.

Bacteria enter through either a dental cavity or a chip or crack in the tooth and spread all the way down to the root. The bacterial infection can cause swelling and inflammation at the tip of the root.

Risk factors
These factors may increase your risk of a tooth abscess:

Poor dental hygiene. Not taking proper care of your teeth and gums — such as not brushing your teeth twice a day and not flossing — can increase your risk of tooth decay, gum disease, tooth abscess, and other dental and mouth complications.
A diet high in sugar. Frequently eating and drinking foods rich in sugar, such as sweets and sodas, can contribute to dental cavities and turn into a tooth abscess.
Dry mouth. Having a dry mouth can increase your risk of tooth decay. Dry mouth is often due to the side effect of certain medications or aging issues.
Complications
A tooth abscess won't go away without treatment. If the abscess ruptures, the pain may decrease significantly — but you still need dental treatment. If the abscess doesn't drain, the infection may spread to your jaw and to other areas of your head and neck. You might even develop sepsis — a life-threatening infection that spreads throughout your body.

If you have a weakened immune system and you leave a tooth abscess untreated, your risk of a spreading infection increases even more.

Prevention
Avoiding tooth decay is essential to preventing a tooth abscess. Take good care of your teeth to avoid tooth decay:

Use fluoridated drinking water.
Brush your teeth at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.
Use dental floss or an interdental cleaner to clean between your teeth on a daily basis.
Replace your toothbrush every three or four months, or whenever the bristles are frayed.
Eat healthy food, limiting sugary items and between-meal snacks.
Visit your dentist for regular checkups and professional cleanings.
Consider using an antiseptic or a fluoride mouth rinse to add an extra layer of protection against tooth decay

What Can You Do About Sensitive Teeth?
If you pass on hot or cold drinks because you know they’ll make your teeth hurt, it may be time to talk to your dentist about the possibility that you have sensitive teeth.

Sometimes other things can aggravate them, too, like sweet and sour foods or even cold air.

To be able to treat these tooth twinges, it helps to know what might be behind them. Once you’ve nailed down the cause, you can find a solution.

Take Care of Your Tooth Enamel
That’s a hard, protective layer that helps your teeth deal with everything you put them through. When it’s gone, nerve endings that cause pain are exposed.

If you have sensitive teeth, it’s possible some of your enamel has worn away.

To prevent or put the brakes on that damage:

Don’t brush too hard. Do you clean your teeth with a heavy hand? You might be taking off more than just plaque. Side-to-side brushing right at the gum line can make your enamel go away faster. You should use a soft-bristled brush and work at a 45-degree angle to your gum to keep enamel clean and strong.

Avoid acidic foods and drinks. Soda, sticky candy, high-sugar carbs -- all of these treats attack enamel. Instead, snack on:

Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables
Cheese
Milk
Plain yogurt
These will moisten your mouth and help fight acid and bacteria that can eat away at your teeth. Saliva is one way your mouth deals with them.

You can also drink green or black tea or chew sugarless gum. If you do eat something acidic, don’t rush to brush. Wait an hour or so to strengthen before you scrub.

Unclench your teeth. Over time, teeth grinding wears away your enamel. Sometimes, addressing your stress can stop the problem. If that doesn’t work, your dentist can fit you for a splint or a mouth guard.

If the problem is severe, you may need dental work to change your teeth’s position, or a muscle relaxant.

Take a break from bleaching. The quest for pearly whites may cause your pain. Thankfully, sensitivity from bleaching is usually temporary. Talk to your dentist about how the treatment might be affecting you, and whether you should continue it.

Get to the Root of the Problem
Sometimes, tooth sensitivity can be a sign of other issues, like:

Naturally shrinking gums. If you’re over 40, it could be that your gums are showing signs of wear and tear by pulling away from your teeth and uncovering your tooth roots. Those roots don’t have enamel to protect them, so they’re much more sensitive than the rest of your tooth.

Tell your dentist if your gums look like they’re receding. It can be a sign of other problems, like gum disease. Serious cases may need a gum graft. That moves tissue from somewhere else to cover the bare area.

Gum disease. Plaque and tartar buildup on your teeth can make your gums pull back. Sometimes, disease can set in. It can destroy the bony support of your tooth. Don’t smoke. It can lead to gum disease. To treat it, your dentist may do a deep clean of your teeth, called planing or scaling, that scrapes tartar and plaque below the gum line. You could also need medication or surgery to fix the problem.

A cracked tooth or filling: When you break a tooth, the crack can go all the way down to your root. You’ll notice pain when your tooth is cold. How your dentist fixes the crack depends on how deep it goes. If it’s a small crack that ends before your gums start, your dentist can fill it. If it’s below your gum line, your tooth will have to be pulled.

Treatment
Once you’ve found the problem, there are things your dentist can use to help ease your pain, including:

Toothpaste for sensitive teeth
Fluoride gel
Fillings that cover exposed roots
Sealants
Desensitizing pastes (not used with a toothbrush) you can get from your dentist
Mouthguard to protect teeth if you grind
If your case is serious, your dentist might suggest a root canal.

It’s also important not to shy away from dental care because of tooth pain. Ignoring your teeth can make things worse. Brush and floss twice a day to help keep your smile bright and pain-free. And see your dentist for a checkup twice a year.

Repairing a Chipped or Broken Tooth
You're crunching ice or a piece of hard candy when you notice something hard in your mouth that doesn't melt or dissolve. You get a sick feeling as you realize what it is -- a piece of broken tooth.

Although the enamel that covers your teeth is the hardest, most mineralized tissue in the body, its strength has limits. Falling, receiving a blow to the face, or biting down on something hard -- particularly if a tooth already has some decay -- can cause a tooth to chip or break. If you discover you have broken or chipped a tooth, don't panic. There are many things your dentist can do to fix it.

How to Care for a Chipped or Broken Tooth
If your tooth is broken, chipped, or fractured, see your dentist as soon as possible. Otherwise, your tooth could be damaged further or become infected, possibly causing you to end up losing the tooth.

In the meantime, try the following self-care measures:

If the tooth is painful, take acetaminophen or another over-the-counter pain reliever. Rinse your mouth with salt water.
If the break has caused a sharp or jagged edge, cover it with a piece of wax paraffin or sugarless chewing gum to keep it from cutting your tongue or the inside of your lip or cheek.
If you must eat, eat soft foods and avoid biting down on the broken tooth.
Treatment for a broken or chipped tooth will depend on how severely it is damaged. If only a small piece of enamel broke off, the repair can usually be done simply in one office visit. A badly damaged or broken tooth may require a more lengthy and costly procedure. Here are some ways your dentist may repair your broken or chipped tooth.

Dental Filling or Bonding
If you have chipped off just a small piece of tooth enamel, your dentist may repair the damage with a filling. If the repair is to a front tooth or can be seen when you smile, your dentist will likely use a procedure called bonding, which uses a tooth-colored composite resin.

Bonding is a simple procedure that typically does not require numbing the tooth. To bond a tooth, the dentist first etches its surface with a liquid or gel to roughen it and make the bonding material adhere to it. Next, the dentist applies an adhesive material to the tooth followed by a tooth colored resin. After shaping the bonding material to look like a natural tooth, the dentist uses an ultraviolet light to harden the material.

Dental Cap or Crown
If a large piece of tooth breaks off or the tooth has a lot of decay, the dentist may grind or file away part of the remaining tooth and cover it with a crown, or tooth-shaped cap, made to protect the tooth and improve its appearance. Permanent crowns can be made from metal, porcelain fused to metal, all resin, or all ceramic. Different types have different benefits. All-metal crowns are the strongest. Porcelain and resin crowns can be made to look nearly identical to the original tooth.

If the entire top of the tooth is broken off but the root is still intact, the dentist or an endodontist (a dentist who specializes in root canals) may perform root canal therapy and place a pin or a post in the canal, and then build up enough of a structure onto which a crown can be made. Later, the dentist can cement the crown over the pin or post-retained restoration.

Getting a crown usually takes two visits to the dentist’s office. During the first visit, your dentist may take X-rays to check the roots of the tooth and surrounding bone. If no further problems are detected, the dentist will numb the tooth and surrounding gum and then remove enough of the remaining tooth to make room for a crown. If a break or chip has left a large piece of the tooth missing, your dentist can use a filling material to build up the tooth to hold the crown. Next, your dentist will use a putty-like material to make an impression of the tooth receiving the crown as well as the opposing tooth (the one it will touch when you bite down). The impressions are sent to a lab where the crown is made. In the meantime, your dentist may place a temporary crown made of acrylic or thin metal.

During the second visit, typically two to three weeks later, your dentist will remove the temporary crown and check the fit of the permanent one before permanently cementing it in place.

Some dental offices, however, have special digital milling technology that enables them to make a crown the same day without taking a putty impression.

Dental Veneers
If a front tooth is broken or chipped, a dental veneer can make it look whole and healthy again. A dental veneer is a thin shell of tooth-colored porcelain or resin composite material that covers the whole front of the tooth (much like a false nail covers a fingernail) with a thicker section to replace the broken part of the tooth.

To prepare your tooth, your dentist will remove from about 0.3 to 1.2 millimeters of enamel from its surface. Next the dentist will make an impression of the tooth to be sent to a dental laboratory, which will make the veneer. When the veneer is ready, usually a week or two later, you'll need to go back to the dentist to have it placed. To place the veneer, your dentist will first etch the surface of the tooth with a liquid to roughen it. The dentist then applies a special cement to the veneer and places the veneer on the prepared tooth. Once the veneer is in position, your dentist will use a special light to activate chemicals in the cement to make it harden quickly.

Root Canal Therapy
If a tooth chip or break is large enough to expose the pulp -- the center of the tooth containing nerves and blood vessels -- bacteria from the mouth can enter and infect the pulp. If your tooth hurts, changes color, or is sensitive to heat, the pulp is probably damaged or diseased. Pulp tissue can die and if it's not removed, the tooth can become infected and need to be extracted. Root canal therapy involves removing the dead pulp, cleaning the root canal, and then sealing it.

Root canal therapy may be performed by general dentists or specialists called endodontists. Most root canal therapies are no more painful than having a cavity filled. In most cases, the remaining tooth must be covered with a crown to protect the now-weakened tooth.

The enamel on your pearly whites tends to wear out with age and prolonged usage; which is why it is important to take special care of your teeth.

Some of the basic rules of keeping your teeth clean are to brush them at least twice a week and eat foods that help keep them white and strong. While most of us vouch for commercial toothpastes, there are some who turn to 'gharelu nuskhe' or home remedies to maintain oral hygiene.

One of the age-old home remedies used was that of mustard oil and salt. A mixture of these two ingredients made a thorough cleanser for teeth.

Apart from just yellowing teeth, tooth decay, bleeding and swollen gums have also become a part of the oral health problems. Some of the common reasons for teeth related issues include-
High intake of sugary and processed foods
Poor oral hygiene and improper teeth cleaning
Irregular teeth cleaning and dental check-ups
Excess intake of tobacco in any form
Consumption of hard water
While these are just a few reasons, there can be more that are attributed to poor oral health.

Mustard oil and salt is an age-old home remedy that is used to clean your gums and remove the plaque on your teeth. Salt acts as a mild abrasive that helps remove strain and brighten teeth.

Moreover, it contains a natural source of fluoride, which is a bonus for your teeth and gums. On the other hand, mustard oil helps strengthen your gums and makes it easier to remove the plaque.

Plaque is generally formed due to bacteria that is surrounded by fatty membranes. Swishing mustard oil can help loosen the fat soluble bacteria and further avoid gum bleeding.

दाताचे संक्रमण:

भारतीयांमध्ये एकूणच दातांच्या आरोग्याविषयी फारशी जागृती नाही. त्यामुळे दात किडणे, दुखणे, पडणे हे प्रकार नवीन नाही. त्यामुळे दंतवैद्याकडे लागणाऱ्या रांगांचे नवल वाटत नाही. मात्र दातांच्या या दुखण्यांसोबत आता शहरी भागात आणखी एका समस्येने डोके वर काढले आहे. खाण्याच्या पदार्थांमधील रसायनांमुळे दात झिजण्याचे व त्यामुळे त्रास होण्याचे प्रमाण वाढले आहे. मात्र दात झिजण्यावर पूर्ण उपचार करण्याची प्रभावी पद्धती अजूनही भारतात फारशी उपलब्ध नाही. त्यामुळे दात झिजू नयेत, यासाठी काळजी घेणे अधिक महत्त्वाचे आहेत.

दात झिजणे म्हणजे नेमके काय?
विविध पदार्थांतील अॅसिडमुळे दातांचे संरक्षण करणारा इनॅमलचा थर निघून जातो. त्यामुळे दाताचा आतील संवेदनशील भाग उघडा पडतो.

काय परिणाम?
दातातील आतला भाग उघडा पडल्याने थंड, गरम पदार्थ खाल्ल्यावर दात ठणकतात. एवढेच नव्हे तर हवेशी संपर्क आल्यावरही दात शिवशिवतात.

झीज का होते?
लिंबू किंवा त्यासारख्या आंबट फळांचे ज्यूस, चायनीज फूड, शीतपेय, दारू तसेच तरणतलावात पोहोण्यामुळे दात झिजण्याचे प्रकार होतात. या पदार्थांमध्ये आम्लारी पदार्थ असतात. तरणतलावातील क्लोरिनमुळे दात झिजतात. विशेषत: ५.७ पेक्षा कमी पीएच असलेल्या पदार्थांमुळे दातावरील इनॅमलचे वातावरण झीजते. वाइनचा पीएच ३.८ पेक्षाही कमी असतो.

उपाय :
इलेक्ट्रोलिसिस पद्धतीने दातांवर फ्लुराइडचा थर लावण्याची पद्धत परदेशात विकसित झाली असली तरी ती महाग असल्याने भारतात अजूनही फारशा प्रमाणात उपलब्ध नाही. सध्या आपल्याकडे वापरात असलेल्या वैद्यकीय पद्धतीमध्ये मात्र काही प्रमाणात वेदना कमी होऊ शकतात. सध्या सेन्सिटीव्ह टूथसाठी वापरण्यायोग्य असलेल्या टूथपेस्टच्या जाहिराती दिसतात. फ्लोराइडचा अंश असलेल्या या टूथपेस्टमुळे आराम मिळू शकतो. मात्र या टूथपेस्ट वर्षानुवर्षे वापरणे फारसे योग्य ठरणार नाही.

प्रतिबंधात्मक उपाय:
कोल्ड्रिंक पिणे टाळावे. विशेषत: किशोरवयातील मुलांमध्ये हा प्रकार अधिक दिसत असल्याने लहान असतानाच खाण्याच्या योग्य सवयी लावाव्यात.
तलावात पोहोताना माउथ गार्ड लावावेत.

संत्री, लिंबू तसेच इतर अॅसिडीक प्रकारातील फळांचे रस मर्यादित प्रमाणात प्यावे.
चायनीज पदार्थ तसेच दारू विशेषत: वाइन टाळावी.

दातदुखी ही आबालवृद्धांमध्ये आढळाणारी अत्यंत त्रासदायक समस्या आहे. बर्‍याच जणांना दात किडल्यामुळे दातदुखीचा त्रास होतो. पण दात किडण्यासोबतच अन्य काही कारणांमुळेदेखील दातदुखीची समस्या उद्भवू शकते. मग जाणून घ्या दातदुखीची ही 10 कारणं….

दात कीडणे
दात कीडणे हे लक्षण जरी सामान्य असले तरीही दातदुखीचे एकमेव कारण नाही. दातांवर तयार होणार्‍या कॅव्हीटीज (छिद्र) यामुळे इनॅमलचे नुकसान होते व ते वेदनारहीत असते. मात्र ही छिद्र इनॅमलचा स्तर भेदून आतमध्ये प्रवेश करतात तेव्हा दात संवेदनशील (सेंसिटिव्ह) बनायला सुरूवात होते. यामुळे वेदना तीव्र होतात तसेच दातांच्या आजुबाजूला संसर्ग झाल्याने पू तयार होण्याची शक्यता असते.

हिरड्यांचे आजार
हिरड्यांच्या आजारामध्ये त्या लाल होणे, त्यातून रक्तस्त्राव होणे अशी लक्षणं आपण सारेच जाणतो. मात्र हिरड्यांचे आजार गंभीर झाल्यास आरोग्यदायी दात सुद्धा दुखू शकतात. हिरड्यांजवळील संसर्गामुळे गालाजवळील भागाला, हाडांच्या टिशूला सूज येणे अशा समस्या उद्भवू शकतात.

- तोंडावर पडणे किंवा जोरदार अपघात झाल्याने दात तुटण्याची किंवा फ्रॅक्चर होण्याची शक्यता असते. मात्र हे सहसा लक्षात येत नाही. फ्रॅक्चरची तीव्रता अधिक असल्यास म्हणजेच नर्व्हमध्ये फ्रॅक्चर झाल्यास वेदना अधिक प्रमाणात जाणवतात. तसेच अपघातामुळे दातांवर पडणार्‍या चिरेत प्लाग व बॅक्टेरिया वाढल्यानेदेखील दातदुखी वाढू शकते.

- काही वेळेस हिरड्यांचे विकार, कॅव्हीटीज अशा कोणत्याही आजारांव्यतिरिक्तही दातदुखीची समस्या उद्भवू शकते. प्रामुख्याने दातांच्या आतील भागात छुप्या स्वरुपाचे फ्रॅक्चर झाल्यास दातदुखी होऊ शकते. अशाप्रकारचे फ्रॅक्चर एक्सरे मध्ये देखील सहजपणे दिसून येत नाही. या समस्येला क्रॅक्ड टुथ सिंड्रोम असे म्हणतात. पदार्थ चावण्याच्या चुकीच्या पद्धती, रात्री झोपेत दात चावण्याची सवय, काही अपघात किंवा दातांमधील मोठ्या पोकळ्या यांमुळे ही समस्या उद्भवू शकते. कडक पदार्थ खाताना किंवा चावताना यामुळे तीव्र वेदना होऊ शकतात.

- दात चावण्याची सवय असलेल्यांमध्ये दातदुखीची समस्या उद्भवू शकते. कारण दात चावताना तोंडातील टिशूवर अतिभार आल्याने दातांच्या दुखण्यासोबतच, जबड्यातील सांधे व स्नायूदेखील दुखतात.

- चुकीच्या पद्धतीने दात घासल्याने हिरड्या कमी होतात. यामुळे दातांजवळील सुरक्षाकवच कमी झाल्याने अति गरम व थंड पदार्थ खाल्ल्याने त्रास होण्याची शक्यता असते. अ‍ॅसिडचे प्रमाण अधिक असलेले पदार्थ खाल्ल्याने देखील सेंसिटिव्हीटी वाढते व दात कमजोर होतात. (ब्रश करताना या ’7′ चुका टाळा)

- अक्कलदाढ येताना तीव्र वेदना होण्याची शक्यता असते. कारण ही दाढ काहीशा किंवा पूर्णपणे हिरड्यातून येते. मात्र पुरेशी जागा नसल्यास आजूबाजूच्या हिरड्यांसोबतच आजूबाजूच्या दातांवरही त्याचा परिणाम होतो. व भयंकर वेदना होऊ शकतात. मात्र अक्कलदाढ आल्यानंतर त्याची स्वच्छता बाळगणे अवघड असते. त्यामुळे संसर्ग होऊन तोंडात कीटाणू वाढण्याची शक्यता अधिक असते.

- वाकडे-तिकड्या रेषेत दात असणार्‍या व्यक्तींना दात चावण्यची सवय असेल तर प्रत्येक दातांवर पडणार्‍या वेगवेगळ्या भारामुळे नसांना त्रास होऊन दात दुखण्याची शक्यता असते.

- दातांना समान रेषेत आणण्यासाठी, दोन दातांमधील फ़ट कमी करण्यासाठी ब्रेसेस लावले जातात माते यामुळे बर्‍याचदा दातदुखी होते.
दातदुखी ही दातांच्या किंवा तोंडाच्या समस्येव्यतिरिक्तही अन्य काही करणांमुळेदेखील उद्भवू शकते.प्रामुख्याने सायनसच्या समस्येमध्ये नाकाजवळील हाडांचा भार दातांच्या मागच्या भागावर आल्याने दातदुखी होते. काही अपवादात्मक स्थितीमध्ये जबड्याचे दुखणे , दातदुखणे हे हृद्यविकाराचे लक्षण आहे.