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Dental Infections

Plaque that can cause a dental infection

Tooth Infections Can Have Life-Threatening Complications

Your mouth is vulnerable to infection in all corners of its space. There are many causes of dental infections that can take on different forms. The lips, tongue, palate, cheeks, gums (periodontal infection), and areas within and below teeth (endodontic infection) can become infected in the mouth and lead to serious, potentially life-threatening complications when left untreated.

Your chances of suffering a serious dental infection or abscess are much higher with inadequate care for your oral health. Most infections are created when the enamel layer of teeth becomes cracked or chipped allowing bacteria to enter the tooth’s pulp (core containing nerves, tissues, and blood vessels) and travel to the surrounding bone or tissue creating a dental abscess.

Don’t wait until the infection becomes life-threatening, get treatment for your dental infection today. Visit the Oxnard dentist with over 45 years of experience in Emergency Dentistry – Carson & Carson, DDS with 24 hour dental emergency available in Oxnard and Camarillo, California.

A Simple Call Could Save Your Life

Signs of a Dental Infection

  • Swollen gums, jaw, or glands of the neck
  • Fever
  • Severe & persistent toothache
  • Foul smelling breath
  • Bitter taste in mouth
  • Teeth sensitivity to hot or cold, or sensitivity to the pressure of chewing

Swollen gums vs healthy gums comparison

In some extreme cases, the infection swelling can become so severe that it threatens the patient’s airway and can create serious respiratory issues. If you have both swelling and fever, or trouble breathing or swallowing you should seek immediate medical help because you may have a serious infection.

Dental Infection Before and After Pictures

Dental Infection Before and After

Same Day Treatment Available

Preventing Tooth Infections

Many infections in the mouth are caused by a buildup of plaque, so good oral hygiene habits are key in preventing these infections and maintaining a healthy mouth. Brushing & flossing your teeth twice a day and visiting the dentist at least twice a year are habits that can keep your natural smile looking pearly white & healthy. Flossing every day keeps the mouth clean by killing bacteria that could otherwise penetrate into tooth enamel and create cavities.

Treatment of Dental Infections

If an infection or abscess is found in your gums or teeth, there are a few treatment options that can be offered to remedy the problem:

  • Perform Root Canal on the tooth. Your dentist will drill into the tooth removing the infected pulp and then draining the abscess. Afterward, the tooth is filled and sealed, and a crown is typically placed over the remaining tooth to protect it.
  • Incise & Drain Abscess. Some abscesses are close enough to the surface of the gums that they can be accessed by simple incision (cutting) into the gums. These abscesses are cut into, drained, and then washed with a saline solution to prevent further infection.
  • Pull Affected Tooth. A tooth may have been pulled to allow proper access to an abscess below it. The affected tooth would be extracted, abscess drained, and saline solution used to prevent further infection in the cleft left by the abscess.

These procedures can be done under the peaceful sleep of IV Sedation for most patients.

Tips in Treating an Oral Infection

  • Antibiotics will most likely be prescribed to combat local infection. Always take prescribed antibiotics exactly as instructed, finishing the set even if you feel normal before it’s finished.
  • To treat pain, take pain medication as needed. Take Tylenol or Advil instead of Acetaminophen.
  • Mix 1 teaspoon of salt with warm water and hold this mixture in your mouth where the infection is. Along with icing of the face, this can help draw the infection towards the surface of the gums so it can drain and help the healing process.
  • Avoid the use of heating pads and smoking until the infection has disappeared.

Have a toothache, but can’t see your dentist yet? Check out some home remedies for toothache relief.
Dental Infectons, Cysts, Abcess
Dental infections can take many forms and have several causes.
When severe, the face can get extremely swollen, and the eyelids can shut. The cause for the infection must be eliminated as well as antibiotics to be used before It can be controlled. It takes a minimum of four days to get an infection under control.

Dental Infection Case Studies

See some of the work we’ve done for past patients who have had an infection on our dental infection case studies page.

45 Years Experience Treating Dental Infections – Carson & Carson, DDS

Our experienced team of dental professionals at Carson & Carson, DDS has over 4 decades of experience in diagnosing and treating serious dental infections. Feel comfortable and pain-free being treated at one of the best dental offices that Oxnard has to offer with our professional and courteous dentists Dr. LeRoy Carson & Dr. Derek Carson. Call or make an appointment today with our Oxnard location at (805) 983-0717. 24 hour availability for dental emergencies. Find a dentist near me.

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Reviews

JoAnn Cataldo
21:06 07 Aug 23
Carson and Acasio Dentistry is great! All staff, including dentists, are very friendly and nice. They actually seem to care how the patients are doing. It's also easy to get there as it's right to the west of Oxnard Blvd.
Shannon Ball
18:19 07 Aug 23
This has been the best dental office we have been to as a family. They are warm, and welcoming. Anytime I have called to make an appointment, we were able to be seen quickly. I highly recommend them!
Rich Sprague
15:03 04 Aug 23
Several years ago, I moved to Oxnard and needed some dental work done. In the past, I have always chosen a dentist who offers Sleep Sedation (IV) which puts one into a state of fantasyland, and which I really like when having serious dental work.Upon looking online, I was pleased to find Carson & Carson and was initially treated by the father, LeRoy. On a subsequent visit where I desired the IV, I did not have the requisite ride home and son Dr. Derek graciously dropped me off at the house. To this day, I am grateful for his kind gesture.A little over a year ago, I broke a tooth and met Dr. Mike Acasio for the first time. He really made me feel comfortable with his incredibly positive and caring bedside manner. I then learned he was becoming a partner in the practice and began a discussion about how I could help them rebrand their practice with a new name and look.They hired me to be their marketing services manager and, among other things, to create a new website which is soon to be launched.During the last few months, I have gotten to see and experience first-hand their practice from top to bottom. The doctors are phenomenally talented and dedicated to care for their patients and provide the best experience one can have (most people, like me, would rather walk on hot coals rather than going to a dentist).The Carson-Acasio staff have a great bond and they are committed to their patients with the best care, and support each other through the process.Then just recently, I needed two teeth removed. Dr. Mike convinced me that he could do the work without sleep sedation. He removed the teeth, which then included a third which was badly infected and joined to the bone , and even had to crack the bone … all without me suffering or panicking.I’ve been going to dentists for a lifetime, and Dr. Mike is the best practitioner I have ever encountered.Over the past year and a half, I’ve learned a lot about dentistry and specifically about the Carson & Acasio practice. I’ve had the opportunity and privilege to be part of their organization and see, for myself, what they do and how they work. These folks simply stand head and shoulders above most people in the field.My mouth thanks them.