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Dental abscess - Background information
What is it?
- A dental abscess is a localized collection of pus in the teeth, supporting structures of the teeth (periodontal ligament, alveolar bone), or gums. There are two types of dental abscess:
- Periapical abscess (also known as dentoalveolar abscess) — this originates in the dental pulp (centre of the tooth), and is the most frequently occurring type (both in adults and children).
- Periodontal abscess — this originates in the supporting structures of the teeth (such as the periodontal ligament) between the tooth and the gum [Herrera et al, 2000; Schneider and Segal, 2007].
- These two forms of abscess are distinct, both anatomically and in terms of dental management. However, as this CKS topic is written for primary care, and the management therein is the same for both, they will be considered as the single entity of dental abscess throughout.
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