Dental infection

About Dental infection

Dental infection most often arises from untreated caries that reaches the pulp, periodontal disease, or a cracked tooth. It presents with localized tooth or gum pain, swelling, fever, and sometimes a visible abscess or facial swelling. Definitive treatment is dental — drainage, root canal, or extraction — not antibiotics alone. Antibiotics are an adjunct when systemic signs are present or definitive care must be delayed; amoxicillin or amoxicillin-clavulanate are typical first-line choices. Spreading swelling, trouble swallowing or breathing, or eye involvement requires emergency evaluation.