The Health Blog
Stay Healthy, the Natural Way

Reviewed By Ray Spotts A toothache is simply defined as pain in or around a tooth. It can range from bearable to excruciating. It also has a variety of causes; some are relatively minor while others are serious. A toothache should always be treated, as it will just get worse if you try to ignore it. The question, however, is when should you just schedule a dental appointment and when should you get emergency or same-day dental care?

Dental abscesses tend to be pretty gross looking, but their presence is usually the body's way of building up a defense mechanism against a tooth infection. When your tooth is badly infected, it could potentially lead to complications if the infection spreads to your blood stream. An abscess forms to prevent that from happening. The infection spreads to the layers of the tooth and gums if it isn't properly treated.