If you have a dental infection that has resulted in an abscess, you can't afford to ignore the situation. Dental infections and abscesses can cause serious health consequences, especially if the infection spreads to other areas of the body. Here are four things you should do if you've developed an abscess on one of your teeth.

Contact Your Dentist

If you have an abscess on one or more of your teeth, you need to contact your dentist right away. Your dentist will need to take care of the infection that caused the abscess. Not only that, but depending on the severity of the abscess, your dentist may need to drain it for you. If you've developed the abscess after office hours, and the pain isn't severe, there are some steps you can take to alleviate the discomfort until you can see your dentist.

Work to Reduce the Abscess

If you've been unable to contact your dentist, you'll want to work to reduce the abscess. One way to do that is by rinsing with salt water. The salt water will help draw the bacteria out of the abscess, allowing it to drain naturally. It's important to note that you should never try to open the abscess to drain the bacteria. Using a sharp object to drain the abscess could cause the infection to spread.

Alleviate the Inflammation

If your abscess has caused pain and inflammation in your gums and face, you'll want to take steps to alleviate the symptoms. Warm compresses applied directly to your face will help reduce inflammation and alleviate the pain and discomfort you're experiencing. It's also important to continue with the salt water rinses.

Seek Emergency Dental Care

If you've used the tips provided above, and you're continuing to experience pain, you need to seek emergency dental care as soon as possible. This is particularly important if the abscess is interfering with your ability to swallow, which can happen when large abscesses develop on your gums. It's also important to seek emergency dental care if the pain is not relieved with salt water rinses and over-the-counter pain medications, or you develop a high fever. These symptoms could be a sign that the infection is spreading.

Don't take chances with a dental infection. If you've developed an abscess, you need to take immediate action. Use the tips provided here to help you with your abscess. Be sure to contact a dentist near you as soon as possible, or visit a site like https://www.vanyodentistry.com/.