WEBVTT - What Is an Abscessed Tooth?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of I Heart Radio,

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<v Speaker 1>Hey brain Stuff Lauren Bolga bam here. Once among the

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<v Speaker 1>world's most vexing health problems, a toothache hardly even bears

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<v Speaker 1>mentioning these days, but that wasn't always the case. In

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<v Speaker 1>the early six hundreds, teeth were often cited as a

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<v Speaker 1>leading cause of death. Catholic toothache sufferers prayed to Saint Apollonia,

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<v Speaker 1>the patron saint of dentists, for intercession on behalf of

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<v Speaker 1>their aching mouths, and in Scottish poet Robert Burns immortalized

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<v Speaker 1>the condition in his Address to the Toothache, in which

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<v Speaker 1>he slightly exaggerates what air that place be. Priests call Hell,

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<v Speaker 1>where all the tones of misery yell, and ranked plagues

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<v Speaker 1>their numbers tell in dreadful row, Thou toothache surely bear

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<v Speaker 1>the bell among them all. Thanks to policies like widespread

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<v Speaker 1>water fluoridation in the United States, plus educational cartoons like

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<v Speaker 1>nineteen seventy four Is the Toothbrush, family and oral hygiene

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<v Speaker 1>programs in public schools, and easy access to dental products, overall,

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<v Speaker 1>dental health in the United States has vastly improved. Nevertheless,

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<v Speaker 1>tooth decay is still cited as the most common childhood disease.

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<v Speaker 1>Fifty percent of children ages twelve to fifteen are affected

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<v Speaker 1>by cavities. The problem is often worse among lower income families,

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<v Speaker 1>who are less likely to have affordable access to dental care.

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<v Speaker 1>People today tend to be cavalier about tooth decay, dismissing

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<v Speaker 1>cavities and minor toothaches as insignificant. However, even with modern

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<v Speaker 1>improvements in dentistry, cavities can still lead to oral infections

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<v Speaker 1>and more serious complications, including death. In nineteen seventy nine,

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<v Speaker 1>John Glassock, bassist for the rock band Jeff bro Tull,

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<v Speaker 1>died of endocarditis, a heart infection. His doctor's belief originated

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<v Speaker 1>from an abcessed to tooth. And if you watched the

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<v Speaker 1>TV show Angel, actor Andy Hallett, who portrayed the caryo

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<v Speaker 1>key demon Lorn, died in two thousand nine after a

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<v Speaker 1>case of cardiomyopathy resulting from a dental infection. Recent studies

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<v Speaker 1>have also linked oral infections to other serious medical conditions

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<v Speaker 1>like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. So what exactly is

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<v Speaker 1>an abscessed tooth and how can you avoid getting one?

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<v Speaker 1>An abscess is a type of infection that's identifiable by

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<v Speaker 1>inflamed tissue surrounding a localized collection of yellowish white fluid

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<v Speaker 1>called pus, which is made up of white blood cells, tissue,

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<v Speaker 1>and microorganisms. A tooth abscess is most commonly caused by

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<v Speaker 1>severe tooth decay or cavities, other culprits, argent vitis, gum disease,

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<v Speaker 1>and damage to the teeth like breaks and chips. An

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<v Speaker 1>abscess starts when openings in the tooth enamel allow bacteria

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<v Speaker 1>to travel to and infect the pulpy center of the tooth.

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<v Speaker 1>In severe cases, the infection can affect the jawbone as

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<v Speaker 1>well as the soft tissue in the mouth the left bend.

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<v Speaker 1>Treated infection from an abcessed tooth can even spread to

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<v Speaker 1>other parts of the body and cause abscesses in the brain, heart, infections, pneumonia,

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<v Speaker 1>and other complications. The main hallmark of an abscessed tooth

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<v Speaker 1>is a painfully throbbing or stabbing toothache. It will sometimes

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<v Speaker 1>be accompanied by a bitter taste in the mouth, bad breath,

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<v Speaker 1>swollen glands, swelling in the mouth, and fever. Paradoxically, as

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<v Speaker 1>the infection spreads and worsens, it may kill the nerve

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<v Speaker 1>root of the tooth, and the toothache may go away

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<v Speaker 1>or subside. So if you have had a bad toothache,

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<v Speaker 1>even if it does subside, you should still see a dentist.

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<v Speaker 1>Treatment of abscessed teeth involves draining the infection. The dentists

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<v Speaker 1>usually also prescribe a course of antibiotics to fight any

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<v Speaker 1>lingering infection. To reduce the risk of developing abscessed teeth,

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<v Speaker 1>follow the advice of good old flash fluoride and the

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<v Speaker 1>rest of the toothbrush family gang, or you know your

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<v Speaker 1>local dental hygienist and brush carefully after eating, use floss,

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<v Speaker 1>use mouthwash if recommended, and definitely consult a dentist right

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<v Speaker 1>away if you find yourself with a toothache. But today's

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<v Speaker 1>episode is based on the article what is an abcessed

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<v Speaker 1>too on how stuffworks dot com written by Gerlinda Grimes.

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<v Speaker 1>Brain Stuff is production of by Heart Radio in partnership

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<v Speaker 1>with how stuffworks dot Com, and it's produced by Tyler Cline.

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<v Speaker 1>Or more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i

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