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Tooth Infection (Tooth Root Infection), Dental Abscess: How to treat it!

On this page you will learn why you have a tooth infection, and how you can immediately take steps to start healing it.

Tooth Infection or Dental Abscess: What is it?

A tooth infection is also known as a tooth or root abscess. It is a pus-filled swelling. The infection is usually a result of tooth decay. The damage to your tooth is not caused by bacteria, but usually by certain dietary habits that are common in our modern industrial society.

Tooth With Infected Pulp

What Causes a Tooth Infection?

People will argue that bacteria is what causes a tooth infection, but in most cases, I do not believe that to be true.

An infection of the pulp within the tooth can only happen when foreign substances find their way into the tooth. When you eat food, and your tooth enamel is weak or breached due to tooth decay, then the food can penetrate deeply into the inner layers of the tooth. The food or other particles deep inside the tooth become an irritant. The body then creates a tooth infection to push out or collect the irritating substances. Another possible source of tooth infection is dead cells and tissues that are not cleaned away by the body. Every day our body gets rid of dead cells and cellular waste. If the body's cleansing system is blocked, then it may be inhibited in its ability to remove toxins from inside the tooth or around the tooth. Imagine, for example, a stream that is dammed up; the water would stop flowing and it would stagnate. Likewise a tooth infection can be like a dam in the flow of blood vessels in or around the tooth.

Foreign substances, such food in your mouth or dead tissues, can directly enter the once-protected tooth pulp tissues or the area right below the tooth root.

Tooth Infection Note: Please take care of yourself. Many tooth infections can be easily healed if one is in good health. But if you are in poor health, or have other serious health problems then you will need much more help than what is provided here. I never recommend avoiding a dentist and this page is not a replacement for medical/dental advice. Do you need to find a better dentist? See my dental referral page.

What Happens to An Infected Tooth?

Through tooth decay, tooth cracks, or from dead tissue, the fluid flow of micronutrients within your tooth reverses. The tooth starts pulling debris from the mouth into the interior of the tooth. The interior of the tooth can then become inflamed from the unclean substance.

The body responds to this unclean substance by trying to remove the substance. Inflammation occurs. If the inflammation cannot trap the debris, then there is pus, a thin protein-rich fluid that the body uses to trap and contain foreign substances.

Imagine, for example, an infection that could occur from a cut on your arm. That would be similar to what is happening in your mouth.

Tooth abscess tip: Eat more butter. Unsalted butter will help reduce inflammation in your body.

Symptoms of a Tooth Infection

• Toothache
  • Severe, continuous pain
  • Gnawing or throbbing pain
  • Sharp or shooting pain
• Pain when chewing
• Sensitivity of the teeth to hot or cold
• Bitter taste in the mouth
• Breath odor 
• Possible fever
• Swollen glands of the neck
• General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling
• Swollen area of the upper or lower jaw -- a very serious symptom

Types of Dental Infection

One type of infection is called a periapical abscess; it occurs from within the tooth pulp. This is what is shown above in the picture.

The other type of infection is a periodontal abscess, which occurs from the surrounding tissues and bones.

You can help get a better gauge on understanding which type of infection you have by observing the pain and inflammation response in your body. The periodontal abscess, which is a gum infection, is typically not effectively treated by a root canal since the infection would not likely be coming from within the middle of the tooth.

How To Heal A Tooth Infection Naturally

Healing an infection requires both internal and external treatments. Internally you can change your diet to remove toxic, infection-promoting foods. For the external treatment, you can help your body clean up the abscessed area with herbal remedies.

Tooth Abscess Healing Tip: Eat fewer grains. Grains will cause cavities if not properly prepared.

Herbal Remedies For Tooth Infection

Dietary Remedies For Tooth Infection

Details on Healing Tooth Abscess

Tooth Infection Tip: Avoid caffeine - Caffeine elevates blood sugar levels and has (some) effect on glucose metabolism, endocrine glands and the liver. This is not what your body needs when it has tooth pain or a tooth infection.

Antibiotics and Dental Infection

Amoxicillin is a common antibiotic prescribed for tooth infections. Amoxicillin tends to work best for treating an abscess, and dentists or doctors will claim that it is the only way to cure a tooth infection. My opinion is to avoid antibiotics at all costs unless it is an emergency. Dentist Hal Huggins in his book, "Uniformed Consent", agrees with this theory stating that antibiotics used for dental infections will cause the bacteria to colonize elsewhere in a more serious location. Antibiotics work by poisoning the body. This forces the body to stop its pus removal activity. Because antibiotics are toxic, people develop a resistance to antibiotics working. Many people have written to me that antibiotics did not help their tooth infection. Meanwhile, they destroyed their intestinal probiotic bacteria by taking the antibiotics. Antibiotics do seem to get rid of infections in some cases. It would be interesting to see some scientific studies on antibiotics and their effectiveness both short and long term.

Gum Abscess or Periodontal Abscess

An abscess in your gums is a form of infection. A gum abscess is not caused by bacteria. Typical causes of gum abscess include anything that affects your body chemistry, particularly strong stimulating substances. These include: high fructose corn syrup, medications, illegal drugs, WHOLE wheat flour, synthetic sugars, or eating too many sweets. The remedy for the gum abscess is to remove these aggravating causes from your diet.

Learn how to keep your teeth strong so they won't get infected, and learn how to navigate the treacherous waters of dentistry in the book, "Cure Tooth Decay."

 

Other people have learned the secrets to stopping cavities with the published book Cure Tooth Decay

I had several very painful cavities postpartum (after having twins) that kept me up all night in pain and made it so I could barely eat... After following the advice in this book accurately my tooth pain subsided within 24 hours and no longer hurt at all, my teeth also look nicer and my gums no longer bleed and are a nice pink color. - J. Steuernol, Canada