Dental abscess

A dental abscess is a localized collection of pus associated with a tooth. The most common form is the periapical abscess and the second most common is the periodontal abscess. In a periapical abscess the origin is usually a bacterial infection that has built up in the soft and often dead pulp of the tooth, which can follow tooth decay, broken teeth or extensive periodontal disease, or a combination of these. A failed root canal treatment may produce a similar abscess. A dental abscess is a type of odontogenic infection, although that broader term is more often applied to an infection that has spread beyond the region around the causative tooth.