This is why I bring up these issues, and it's also why you need to seriously consider them before you go searching through the house for the smallest sharp instrument you can find. Sometimes it's worth it and sometimes it's not. Trust me, I don't enjoy the idea any more than you do, but it's necessary if you don't want to be dealing with this issue again and again.Īll of the above and more can happen when you decide to play dentist. What this means is that whatever you do, you still need to see a dentist as soon as possible. If you don't find the source of the abscess, then you're going to just keep getting abscesses that get worse and worse. Even though you may get immediate relief from the pressure and pain of an abscess, you'll still have the pain of the wound and a source of open infection in your mouth.Doctors and dentists would prefer you err on the side of paranoia and caution than to try to wait it out.
In fact, if your abscess is along your lower jawline and is large or is growing, go to a hospital now for IV antibiotics and professional lancing before that abscess does you in. Any further swelling can be dangerous because it can block your airway or lead to serious heart problems. If the abscess is near your neck or throat, you need to be extra careful.If you're taking any anti-inflammatories or blood thinners, bleeding could mean a trip to the urgent care center. You're really not going to know where they are, even if you do a quick anatomy lesson. There are several important veins in your mouth and around your gums, which dentists are trained to avoid. You run the risk of poking a vein with the instrument you use to pop the abscess, which means you may bleed a lot more than is necessary.If you lance an abscess before it is ready to pop, it can be much more painful than it should be, and it might not fully drain or might refill.
Like fruit, abscesses have a way of ripening and preparing themselves to be burst.
So you don't need any of that in your digestive system or bloodstream. Your body made the abscess specifically to trap and segregate all of that stuff. You can get sick if you swallow any of the pus, blood, fluids or debris that can come out of your abscess.If any of this happens, you could introduce even worse bacteria into your mouth, and you don't want to see what happens next. This could happen, for example, if you lance your abscess with a non-sterile instrument, throw up after the abscess bursts, or don't clean your mouth thoroughly after the abscess is drained. Popping your abscess will definitely bring you instant relief-in case you were wondering-but if you're not careful, it can also bring on a whole new set of problems.