Dental Abscess (cont.)
Medical Author:
Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP
Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEPDr. Balentine received his undergraduate degree from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. He attended medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine graduating in1983. He completed his internship at St. Joseph's Hospital in Philadelphia and his Emergency Medicine residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in the Bronx, where he served as chief resident. Medical Editor:
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical EditorMelissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology. IN THIS ARTICLE
Medical TreatmentThe doctor may decide to cut open the abscess and allow the pus to drain or try therapy with antibiotics. Unless the abscess ruptures on its own, this is generally the only way that the infection can be cured. People with dental abscesses are typically prescribed pain relievers and, at the discretion of the doctor, antibiotics to fight the infection. An abscess that has extended to the floor of the mouth or to the neck may need to be drained in the operating room under anesthesia. Viewer Comments & ReviewsDental Abscess - SymptomsThe eMedicineHealth physician editors ask:What were symptoms and signs of your dental abscess? Dental Abscess - TreatmentThe eMedicineHealth physician editors ask:What was the treatment for your dental abscess? |
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Dental Abscess »
A dentoalveolar abscess is an acute lesion characterized by localization of pus in the structures that surround the teeth.
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