An abscessed tooth is a serious dental infection that develops around the root of a tooth, resulting in a pus-filled pocket. This condition can affect people of all ages and typically stems from ...

A tooth abscess is a collection of pus that forms inside a tooth or its surrounding structures. The abscess itself is one of the later stages of tooth decay, and typically occurs before tooth loss.

The primary treatment for a tooth abscess is always surgical: drainage, root canal, or extraction. Antibiotics alone cannot cure an abscess because they can’t remove the source of the infection.