The primary treatment for a tooth abscess is always surgical: drainage, root canal, or extraction. Antibiotics alone cannot cure an abscess because they can’t remove the source of the infection.

A root canal is a dental procedure that gets rid of damage in your tooth’s roots while preserving your natural tooth. Root canals become necessary when infection or inflammation develops in the soft ...

An abscess is a pus filled, swollen tissue. It is caused by a bacterial infection. The body’s response to the infection is sending white blood cells to fight the bacteria. This results in the ...

Root canal treatment is designed to save a natural tooth by removing infected pulp, not to cause pain. An infected tooth, often causing severe tooth pain or sensitivity, can lead to bone loss or ...

Nobody wants to hear those two words from their dentist: “root canal.” The procedure has such a bad reputation that people use it as a metaphor for anything unpleasant and painful. But here’s some ...

Lizzie Duszynski-Goodman is a journalist living in the Midwest with her husband and two young children. Her work explores the intersection of mental health, wellness and parenting. She is the former ...

Medically reviewed by Edmund Khoo, DDS Key Takeaways You can ease cavity pain with over-the-counter pain relievers and home ...

A huge study from Umeå University in Sweden has found that both your genes and your daily habits—like your weight, how much ...

An abscess is a confined pocket of pus that builds up within the body. A dental abscess forms within the teeth, in the gums or even the bone holding the tooth in place. A periapical abscess is located ...