A dental abscess is a pocket of pus that your child’s body has formed to fight off a bacterial infection. When the pus is unable to drain, it forms an abscess. Dental abscesses occur due to untreated tooth decay, gum disease, and damage to your child’s tooth. To treat the abscess, we need to drain the pus, remove the infected tissue (usually via a root canal or tooth extraction), and prescribe a round of antibiotics.

A dental abscess is a dental emergency; when left untreated, the abscess can spread throughout your child’s body, making them seriously ill. Seek emergency dental care immediately if they have a fever, pus is draining from their mouth, or if the abscessed area is swollen and warm. Other signs of a dental abscess include a foul odor in your child’s mouth, swollen lymph nodes, and severe, throbbing pain.

Even if your child’s symptoms subside or the pus starts to drain, they still need dental care. The infection won’t go away until the infection is properly drained and treated with antibiotics. If your child has trouble breathing or swallowing, call 911 or take them to the emergency room.