How do you drain an intraoral abscess?
To accomplish this, your dentist may: Open up (incise) and drain the abscess. The dentist will make a small cut into the abscess, allowing the pus to drain out, and then wash the area with salt water (saline). Occasionally, a small rubber drain is placed to keep the area open for drainage while the swelling decreases.
How do you do dental incision and drainage?
Incise and drain the abscess Make a 1- to 2-cm incision into the abscess near its most fluctuant point but not into necrotic or friable tissue if possible. Try to enter perpendicular to underlying bone. Use suction and gauze squares to remove the exuding pus. Insert a hemostat into the full depth of the abscess space.
How do you drain a gingival abscess?
The dentist may make a small incision in the swollen area to drain it. When the abscess is open and discharging pus, they may simply apply pressure to the area to allow the pus to drain completely. Dentists will generally order an X-ray to see if the abscess has caused any breakdown of the bone.
When do you need dental incision and drainage?
An incision and drainage procedure is performed to help manage an aggressive infection. This procedure is often completed with the extraction of the tooth or teeth causing the infection. A drain (rubber tube) has been sutured in the gum area at the site of the infection. This tube allows the infection to “drain.”
What is incision and drainage of abscess?
Definition. Incision (cut) and drainage is a procedure to drain pus from an abscess. A skin abscess ( boil ) is a pocket of pus in the skin.
What type of fluid is in an abscess?
As the white blood cells attack the bacteria, some nearby tissue dies, creating a hole which then fills with pus to form an abscess. The pus contains a mixture of dead tissue, white blood cells and bacteria.
What does abscess look like?
Abscesses usually are red, swollen, and warm to the touch, and might leak fluid. They can develop on top of the skin, under the skin, in a tooth, or even deep inside the body. On top of the skin, an abscess might look like an unhealed wound or a pimple; underneath the skin, it may create a swollen bump.