An untreated cavity
The most common cause. Decay that is left alone eats through to the nerve, and bacteria then travel down to the tip of the root.
Tooth-coloured fillings
# Tooth Infection
Tooth Infection (Dental Abscess)
A tooth infection, or dental abscess, is a pocket of bacteria and pus at the root of a tooth or in the gum beside it. It causes throbbing pain, swelling and sometimes a fever. Antibiotics can calm it, but they don't cure it: the infection only clears once a dentist drains it and treats the tooth with a root canal or an extraction.
What Are the Symptoms of a Tooth Infection?
An infected tooth usually makes itself known. These are the signs dentists look for:
A deep, pulsing ache in one tooth that can spread to your ear, jaw or neck, and often gets worse when you lie down.
The gum next to the tooth is red and puffy, or a small boil appears on it. If it bursts you may notice a sudden salty taste and some relief.
Facial swelling means the infection has spread beyond the tooth. It needs a dentist the same day.
Pus draining into your mouth leaves a foul, salty taste and bad breath that brushing doesn't fix.
A temperature, chills, tiredness or swollen glands in your neck show your body is fighting the infection.
An infected tooth can turn grey, feel slightly loose and hurt when you tap or bite on it. Some infected teeth don't hurt at all because the nerve has already died.
No pain doesn't mean no infection. A dead tooth can carry an abscess for months that only shows on an X-ray.
Book a Free ConsultationWhat Causes a Tooth Infection?
Bacteria need a way into the tooth or under the gum. These are the six usual routes:
A cracked or broken tooth
Even a fine crack lets bacteria into the centre of the tooth, where they infect the nerve.
Broken tooth guideGum disease
Deep pockets between the gum and tooth trap bacteria and food, and can turn into a gum abscess beside the tooth.
Scaling and polishingA wisdom tooth coming through
The flap of gum over a half-erupted wisdom tooth traps food and often becomes infected, swollen and painful.
Wisdom tooth painA leaking filling or crown
An old filling or crown that has cracked or pulled away at the edge lets decay start again underneath, out of sight.
Crowns and bridgesA knock to the tooth
A fall or blow can kill the nerve inside a tooth even if it doesn’t break. Months later the dead nerve becomes infected.
Root canal treatmentCan a Tooth Infection Spread?
Yes. It is uncommon when treated early, but an abscess that is left can spread to the jaw, neck and bloodstream. These are the signs to watch for:
Still around the tooth
- Pain and swelling stay around one tooth
- A small boil on the gum that drains
- You feel well otherwise, with no fever
- You can swallow, breathe and open your mouth normally
Spreading: go to hospital now if
- Swelling spreads towards your eye or down your neck
- It is hard to swallow, breathe or open your mouth
- A high fever, chills or a racing heart
- Feeling very unwell, drowsy or confused
If the infection is still around the tooth, see a dentist within a day or two, or the same day if your face has started to swell. Book an appointment.
How Long Does a Tooth Infection Last?
It depends entirely on what is done about it:
Left untreated
The infection doesn’t go away. It can go quiet for weeks or months, then flare up again, and each flare can damage more bone around the root.
With antibiotics only
Pain and swelling usually ease in two to three days, but the bacteria inside the tooth survive, so the infection tends to come back after the course ends.
With a root canal or extraction
Pain usually eases within a day or two of treatment and swelling settles over a few days, because the source of the infection has been removed.
What Can I Do for a Tooth Infection at Home?
Home care can ease the pain until your appointment. It can't cure the infection:
- Rinse with warm salt water, half a teaspoon in a glass of warm water, three or four times a day. It soothes the gum and helps draw out pus.
- Take ibuprofen or paracetamol at the dose on the pack to ease the pain and bring down a temperature.
- Hold a cold compress against your cheek for 15 minutes at a time. Don’t use heat, which can draw the infection outwards.
- Sleep with your head raised on an extra pillow to reduce the throbbing.
- Eat soft food on the other side of your mouth and keep brushing gently, including around the sore tooth.
- Don’t squeeze or pop a boil on the gum, and don’t take leftover antibiotics or ones bought without a prescription.
Feeling better after a few days of rinses or tablets doesn't mean the infection has gone. See a dentist within a day or two. For pain relief options, see our guide to toothache.
How Is a Tooth Infection Treated?
The aim is to remove the source of the infection. After an examination and an X-ray, these are the treatments we use at DentoCorrect:
Root Canal Treatment
The infected nerve is removed and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed. This clears the infection and keeps your natural tooth.
Tooth Extraction
A tooth that is too badly damaged to save is removed under local anaesthetic, taking the source of the infection with it.
Draining the Abscess
A small opening lets the pus drain, which relieves pressure and pain quickly while the tooth is treated.
Antibiotics When Needed
Prescribed when the infection is spreading or you have a fever, always alongside treating the tooth, never instead of it.
Why Choose DentoCorrect for a Tooth Infection?
DentoCorrect is Pakistan's ISO-certified, multi-city dental clinic network with qualified dentists at every location. Here is what sets us apart:
Qualified, Registered Dentists
Experienced dentists at every DentoCorrect clinic
We Treat the Source
Root canal or extraction, not just another course of antibiotics
ISO-Certified Standards
Strict safety and sterilisation protocols at every clinic
We Try to Save the Tooth
Root canal treatment first; extraction only when a tooth cannot be saved
Transparent Treatment Plans
You'll know what's needed and what it costs before we begin
Conveniently Located Across Pakistan
Lahore (Johar Town, Gulberg & DHA), Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Faisalabad, Peshawar, and Multan
# FAQ'S
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The bacteria live inside the tooth or under the gum, where your body can't clear them. The pain may stop for a while, especially if the abscess drains or the nerve dies, but the infection stays and usually flares up again until the tooth is treated.
Dentists most often prescribe amoxicillin, sometimes combined with clavulanic acid or with metronidazole, and use other antibiotics for people allergic to penicillin. Only take antibiotics prescribed for you after an examination, finish the course, and remember they calm the infection but don't cure the tooth.
There is no safe length of time. Some infections stay quiet for months, while others spread within days. Because you can't tell which kind you have, a tooth infection should be seen by a dentist within a day or two, and the same day if your face is swelling.
It is very rare, but a tooth infection that is left untreated can spread to the jaw, neck, sinuses, bloodstream and, in rare cases, the brain. Swelling that spreads towards your eye or down your neck, a high fever or difficulty swallowing need hospital care straight away.
Yes. A fever means your body is fighting the infection, and pain from an infected back tooth is often felt in the ear, jaw or temple. A fever with facial swelling is a sign the infection is spreading and needs urgent treatment.
Usually it is urgent rather than an emergency: you should see a dentist within a day or two. It becomes an emergency if your face or neck is swelling, you have a high fever, or you find it hard to swallow, breathe or open your mouth.
Yes. Removing an infected tooth that can't be saved also removes the source of the infection. If the swelling is severe, the dentist may drain the abscess and start antibiotics first, then take the tooth out once the area has settled.
Yes, and it is important not to leave it. Draining an abscess, root canal treatment and some antibiotics are all safe in pregnancy. Tell your dentist you are pregnant so they choose the right medicines and shield you during any X-ray.
Not quite. A tooth abscess starts inside the tooth and forms at the tip of the root, while a gum abscess forms in the gum beside the tooth, usually because of gum disease or trapped food. Both need a dentist to drain them and treat the cause.
It is usually called dant mein infection (دانت میں انفیکشن), and a swelling with pus is often described as daant mein peep. Dentists call it a dental abscess.