Dental Abscess: Where did THAT come from?

You’re helping your child brush their teeth one evening and you notice a very strange pimple on their gum.  It doesn’t hurt and if you hadn’t lifted their lip up higher than usual, you might have missed it.    There’s a strong likelihood that your child has a dental abscess.  These soft, pus-filled masses are the result of the body fighting a local bacterial infection.  Typically there are two causes:  A cavity has grown in size large enough to introduce bacteria into the pulp chamber of the tooth or through trauma to that area, the nerve inside the tooth has died.  This environment is perfect for the growth of bacteria.  If you see something like this in your child’s mouth, please call to have it evaluated!