Dental abscess

Call now. An infection with swelling does not clear up on its own and can spread. Call us now, even at night or at the weekend, and we will tell you when you can come in.

What to do now

1. Call us. Tell us how long you have had the swelling, whether it is getting bigger, whether you have a temperature and whether you can open your mouth and swallow normally. That tells us how soon you need to come in.
2. Put a cold compress on your cheek. Hold it on the swollen side for about 10 minutes, then take a break and repeat. Do not put ice directly on the skin.
3. Take a pharmacy painkiller. An anti-inflammatory or a standard painkiller, as the leaflet says. If you take other medicines or have a long-term condition, ask the pharmacist.
4. Rinse with warm salt water. Half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of water. Rinse gently; if the abscess has burst on its own, rinse a few times, but still come to the clinic.
5. Drink water and rest. Sleep with your head slightly raised. If you have a temperature, check it now and then and tell us the reading when you call.

What not to do

• Do not put heat on your cheek: warm compresses can help the infection spread.
• Do not prick or squeeze the swelling with a needle, a toothpick or your finger.
• Do not start leftover antibiotics you have at home. If you need them, the dentist will prescribe them, and the tooth still needs treatment.
• Do not put an aspirin or any other tablet on the gum: it burns the lining of the mouth.
• Do not wait for it to “go down by itself”: even if the pain eases, the infection is still there.

When to come in

Call now if

• the swelling is getting bigger by the hour
• you have a temperature or feel unwell, as if you had flu
• it is hard to open your mouth or it hurts to swallow
• the pain does not ease with a painkiller
• you have a swelling in the gum with pus coming out

It can wait for an appointment if

• you have a small white spot on the gum, with no pain, no swelling in the cheek and no sign of growing; still, call us today to arrange a time
• the abscess has burst on its own, the pain has eased a lot and you have no temperature; come in within a day or two
• it only hurts when you bite on the tooth, with no swelling and no temperature; call today so it does not get worse

Call 112 or go to a hospital A&E (UPU) if the swelling makes it hard to breathe or swallow, if it spreads towards your eye, under your chin or towards your neck, if you have a high temperature and chills, or if you can no longer open your mouth. That needs a hospital, not just a dentist.

What we do at the clinic

The dentist examines the tooth and the swelling and takes an X-ray if needed, to see where the infection starts. They explain what they have found and what your options are before starting.

To relieve the pressure and the pain, the infection needs to be drained: usually through the tooth, by opening it and removing the nerve, and sometimes through a small cut in the gum. When the tooth cannot be saved, the answer is to extract it. If you need an antibiotic, the dentist gives you a prescription.

You will usually need at least one more visit to finish treating the tooth. Before you leave, you are told what to do at home and when to come back.

How much it costs

Prices are in Romanian lei. The consultation is from 150 lei, and you do not pay for it if you have the treatment at the same visit. The dentist tells you which treatment you need after seeing the tooth, and you know the price before we start. See all prices.

Consultation	from 150 lei (≈ 28 €)
Nerve removal	from 350 lei (≈ 65 €)
Extraction	from 500 lei (≈ 93 €)

The price covers everything: the anaesthetic is included, and you do not pay for the consultation if you have the treatment at the same visit. Outside opening hours the price may be higher; we tell you on the phone.

Questions