If you have a severe dental infection known as an abscess, your dentist may recommend that you take antibiotics. While they are typically effective in resolving oral infections, they may not clear your infection entirely. This can cause problems if you have dental restorations or if you wear braces because a resistant, ongoing infection in your mouth can lead to ill-fitting dental appliances or a systemic, body-wide infection. Here are three reasons your abscess may not be healing and what you can do about them:
Low Vitamin C Intake
Vitamin C is thought to play an important role in immunity and wound healing. If you are not getting enough vitamin C either through your diet or from supplements, your immune system may not be strong enough to fight off dental infections, even if you are taking antibiotics.
To help ensure that your vitamin C levels are within normal limits, incorporate more citrus fruits and green leafy vegetables into your daily meal plans. If you do not enjoy eating citrus fruits or vegetables, talk to your doctor about taking vitamin C supplements. While vitamin C supplements are usually tolerated well, they can cause side effects such as stomach pain, diarrhea, heartburn, and bladder irritation.
Sinusitis
Acute or chronic sinusitis can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi, If you have a sinus infection at the same time as your dental abscess, your ability to fight off both infections may be impaired. Even if your abscess goes away after finishing your antibiotics, it may return because of sinus-related post nasal drip that may contain infection-causing germs.
If you have nasal congestion, loss of smell and taste, a bad taste in your mouth, or if you feel fatigued or dizzy, see your physician to rule out a sinus infection. Once it is treated appropriately, you will be more likely to fight off your abscessed tooth.
Salivary Gland Dysfunction
Salivary gland dysfunction can occur as a result of your medications or because of autoimmune disorders. In any case, when your salivary glands fail to produce enough saliva to hydrate your mouth, your dental abscess may be slow to heal.
Adequate saliva production is needed to help wash away oral bacteria, and if your mouth is too dry, this bacteria will build up and perhaps colonize in your infected tooth. To help reverse dry mouth, drink plenty of water and talk to your dentist about recommending a lubricating mouthwash. Also, if your medications are causing dry mouth, your physician may lower your dosage or prescribe different medications that are less likely to affect salivary gland function.
If you have an abscessed tooth, visit your dentist right away. If you wear braces or have dental restorations and notice that they do not feel right, you may need to see your orthodontist or cosmetic dentist. The sooner dental problems are recognized and treated, the less likely you will be to develop further complications such as a body-wide infection, problems with your bite, or ill-fitting dental appliances. To learn more, contact a dental clinic like Accent On Dentistry - Rowena R Martir DMD,
Share23 May 2018
Hi, my name is Kevin Nelson and I want to tell you about my experience. I had a painful tooth so I went to see my dentist. After the examination, he said that I needed to have a root canal to save the tooth. I told the dentist to just pull the tooth instead and then he explained why that wasn't a good idea. He said that pulling the tooth would cause additional problems and then he told me what could happen. I didn't want any more problems, so the dentist did the root canal and I'm glad that he did. I wanted to write a blog to tell others about the benefits of a root canal and what to expect during the procedure. I hope that by getting the word out, other people won't make the same mistake that I almost did by getting a perfectly good tooth pulled.