Periapical abscess — at the root tip
Bacteria reach the nerve through deep decay, a crack or an old injury. The nerve dies and infection collects at the end of the root. Often follows a period of toothache, then pain on biting and swelling.
Dental infection & swelling
Tooth Abscess Treatment in Dubai
An abscess is a pocket of infection. Antibiotics can calm it for a while, but it comes back unless the source — inside the tooth or under the gum — is treated.
- Open daily 10:00–20:00
- Microscope for root canal work
- Tooth-saving options explained first
If you have swelling with difficulty breathing or swallowing, go to a hospital emergency department now — do not wait for a dental appointment.
Quick answer
How is a tooth abscess treated?
A tooth abscess is treated by removing the source of infection: draining the pus, then either cleaning and sealing the inside of the tooth with root canal treatment, treating the gum pocket, or extracting the tooth. Antibiotics may be added if infection is spreading, but they do not fix the source. Creative Arts in Dubai is open daily 10:00–20:00.
27 yearsIn-house dental laboratory in the same building
Written planItemised treatment plan before you commit
Open daily10:00–20:00, seven days a week
Jumeirah 3614 Jumeira St, Umm Suqeim 1, Dubai
Types
What kind of abscess is it?
Where the infection starts decides how it is treated.
Periodontal abscess — in the gum
Infection builds up in a deep pocket between the gum and the root, usually in someone with gum disease, sometimes after food such as a husk is trapped. The tooth itself may still be alive.
Failed root canal
A previously treated tooth can become reinfected if a canal was missed, the seal leaks or the crown breaks down. It can often be retreated.
Around a wisdom tooth
Gum over a partly erupted wisdom tooth traps food and bacteria and can swell into an abscess.
Warning signs
When is a tooth abscess an emergency?
Dental infections can spread into the tissues of the face and neck. Know which signs cannot wait.
See a dentist as soon as possible
- A pimple or boil on the gum, sometimes leaking a salty taste
- A tooth that hurts to bite on or feels raised
- Throbbing pain, or pain that suddenly stopped after days of toothache
- Mild swelling of the gum next to one tooth
Go to a hospital emergency department immediately
- Facial swelling with difficulty breathing or swallowing
- Fever, or feeling generally unwell, with swelling that is spreading
- Swelling spreading towards the eye, under the jaw or down the neck
- Being unable to open your mouth normally or to swallow saliva
Antibiotics
Why antibiotics alone do not cure an abscess
Inside a tooth whose nerve has died there is no blood supply, so antibiotics carried in the bloodstream cannot reach the bacteria living there. A course of tablets can reduce the swelling around the tooth, which is why many people feel better — and then the abscess returns weeks or months later, often larger.
Antibiotics are appropriate when infection is spreading, when there is fever, or when treatment has to be delayed, and they are always prescribed alongside a plan to deal with the source. Taking leftover or borrowed antibiotics is not safe: the wrong drug or dose can mask a spreading infection and adds to antibiotic resistance.
A gum boil that does not hurt is still an active infection. It drains, so pressure does not build, but it can quietly destroy bone around the root.
Treatment options
Tooth abscess treatment options, from saving the tooth to removing it
Every option removes the source of infection. The choice depends on whether the tooth can be restored and on your preference.
| Option | When it fits | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Drainage | Pus under pressure. A small opening through the tooth or gum releases it under local anaesthetic, giving rapid relief. | A first step, not a cure — the source still needs one of the treatments below. |
| Gum pocket treatment | A periodontal abscess on a living tooth: the pocket is cleaned and the root surface debrided. See periodontal treatment. | Needs ongoing gum care; teeth with severe bone loss may still be lost. |
| Root canal treatment | A periapical abscess on a tooth that can be restored. Root canal treatment cleans, disinfects and seals the canals, usually in one or two visits. | Keeps your own tooth; back teeth usually need a crown afterwards. Healing of the bone is checked on later X-rays. |
| Root canal retreatment | A previously root-treated tooth that has become reinfected. Old filling material is removed and the canals re-cleaned under the microscope. | More involved than a first treatment, and depends on the tooth's remaining structure and the existing crown. |
| Extraction | A tooth that is cracked through the root, too broken down to restore, or when you prefer removal. See tooth extraction. | Removes the infection source in one visit; the gap may later need an implant or bridge. |
Cost, time and long-term outcomes of saving versus replacing a tooth are compared in root canal vs implant.
At the appointment
What happens when you come in with an abscess?
The priorities are to find the source, relieve pressure and agree what happens next.
Check for spreading infection
Temperature, swelling, mouth opening and swallowing are checked first; spreading infection is referred to hospital.
First minutesFind the source
Tests on the tooth, gum probing and X-rays show whether the infection starts in the tooth or the gum.
Same visitRelieve the pressure
Under local anaesthetic, the abscess is drained or the tooth opened and cleaned. Antibiotics are added only if indicated.
Same visit where possibleDefinitive treatment
Completing the root canal, gum treatment or extraction follows, with a written plan, alternatives and costs.
Follow-up
Who treats you
Who treats dental abscesses here
Dentists who carry out root canal treatment and retreatment under the dental microscope.
Patient questions
Frequently asked questions
Can a tooth abscess go away on its own?
No. The swelling may go down if the abscess drains or after antibiotics, but the infected tissue inside the tooth or gum pocket remains and the abscess usually returns. The source has to be treated with drainage and root canal treatment, gum treatment or extraction.
Is a tooth abscess dangerous?
It can be. Most stay localised, but dental infection can spread into the face and neck. Swelling with difficulty breathing or swallowing, swelling spreading to the eye or neck, or fever with spreading swelling needs a hospital emergency department immediately.
Can I just take antibiotics for an abscess?
Antibiotics can reduce swelling but cannot reach bacteria inside a tooth with a dead nerve, so the infection returns. They are used alongside treatment of the source when infection is spreading, never as the whole treatment. Only take antibiotics prescribed for this episode.
Can an abscessed tooth be saved?
Often, yes. If there is enough sound tooth left and the root is not fractured, root canal treatment removes the infection and the tooth is then protected with a filling or crown. A tooth cracked through the root, or one with very little structure left, is usually better extracted.
Does draining an abscess hurt?
It is done under local anaesthetic. Infected tissue can be harder to numb, so the dentist may take extra time. Most people feel the pressure pain ease quickly once the pus is released. Discomfort afterwards is usually managed with over-the-counter pain relief.
What if the pain stopped but the gum is still swollen?
A sudden end to toothache can mean the nerve has died while infection continues at the root. A swelling or gum boil that remains should be examined, even if it does not hurt.
What causes a tooth abscess?
Most abscesses start when bacteria reach the nerve through deep decay, a crack or a leaking filling, or when a gum pocket becomes infected. The body walls the infection off as a pocket of pus. Treatment removes the source — root canal treatment, drainage with gum treatment, or extraction.
Keep exploring
Related treatments
Root canalRoot canal treatmentSaving an infected tooth by cleaning and sealing the canals.Urgent careEmergency dentistHow to reach us when dental pain or swelling cannot wait.ConditionToothacheWhat different types of tooth pain usually mean.GuideRoot canal treatment guideWhat to expect during and after treatment.ConditionBleeding gumsGum disease, which is behind periodontal abscesses.TreatmentRoot canal retreatmentWhen an abscess returns on a root-treated tooth.
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- Address614 Jumeira St, Jumeirah 3, Umm Suqeim 1, Dubai
- Opening hoursClinic open daily, 10:00–20:00
- Phone+971 4 342 4444 · WhatsApp +971 56 677 7537
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