A dental abscess is a pocket of infection at the root of a tooth or in the gum beside it, and it doesn't drain or heal on its own. Call (323) 433-6458 and our dentists will see you the same day in Reseda, Monday through Friday, to drain the infection, relieve the pressure and treat the tooth that started it.
The $99 covers the emergency exam and diagnostic X-rays for patients paying without insurance. Treatment is priced separately and quoted to you in writing before any work starts.
Same-day appointments · $99 exam + X-rays · Phones answered 24/7 · Se habla español
Signs of a tooth abscess that needs care today
- A deep, throbbing ache in one tooth that spreads to the jaw, ear or neck
- Swelling in the gum, cheek or under the jaw on that side
- A pimple-like bump on the gum, sometimes leaking pus with a foul taste
- A tooth that hurts to touch or to bite on
- Fever, or feeling generally unwell along with the tooth pain
- A tooth that was aching for days and then suddenly stopped
That last one fools people. When the nerve dies the pain can ease for a while, but the infection is still there and still growing.
When the abscess is an emergency room problem first
Go to an emergency room before you call any dentist if you have swelling that makes it hard to breathe or swallow, swelling that's closing your eye, a high fever with facial swelling, or trouble opening your mouth. Northridge Hospital Medical Center and Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center are the nearest hospitals for most of our patients. They'll treat the spreading infection; then call us for the tooth, because a hospital generally can't treat the tooth itself.
What happens at your same-day visit
The $99 exam and X-rays come first, so our dentist can see where the infection sits and whether the tooth can be saved. Then you get the plan in writing. Treatment usually means draining the abscess to release the pressure, which is what brings relief, and dealing with the source: an emergency root canal if the tooth is worth keeping, or an extraction if it isn't. Antibiotics are sometimes prescribed alongside, to get the surrounding tissue calmed down. On their own, antibiotics don't fix an abscess; the infection returns once the course ends.
Cost of dental abscess treatment in Reseda
The visit starts at $99 for the exam and X-rays for patients paying without insurance; with a PPO plan, they're billed to the plan. What follows depends on whether the tooth is being saved or removed, and it's quoted in writing before any work begins. Cherry, CareCredit and Sunbit financing plus in-house payment plans are available. The cost and insurance page has the details.
What helps until your appointment
Warm salt-water rinses several times a day. Ibuprofen or acetaminophen, as the label directs. A cold compress on the outside of the cheek. Sleeping with your head raised. What doesn't help: pressing or squeezing the bump, poking it with anything, or putting heat on the swelling, which can push the infection deeper.
Why patients choose our Reseda office
Same-day appointments Monday through Friday, with evening times until 7:00 PM on Tuesday and Thursday. A phone answered by a real person 24/7, so the abscess that flares on a Sunday gets Monday's first chair. Drainage, root canal or extraction at one address on Saticoy Street, PPO plans accepted, parking on site.
Dental abscess treatment near you in Reseda
Our office is on Saticoy Street between White Oak Avenue and Balcom Avenue, about two miles south of Northridge Hospital Medical Center. That's 5 to 10 minutes from Lake Balboa, 7 to 12 from Northridge, and 9 to 15 from Encino via Balboa Boulevard.
Frequently asked questions
Can a tooth abscess go away on its own?
No. The pain can come and go, and a bump on the gum may drain and shrink for a while, but the infection stays until the source is treated. Left alone it can spread into the jawbone, the face or the bloodstream. Call (323) 433-6458 the day you notice it.
Will you pull the tooth?
Only if it can't be saved. Many abscessed teeth are treated with a root canal and kept. Our dentist shows you the X-ray, explains both options and their written prices, and the decision is yours. If the tooth has to go, it can usually be removed in the same visit.
Should I take antibiotics first and come in later?
Come in first. Antibiotics have a place, and our dentist may prescribe them, but they don't drain the abscess or treat the tooth. Delaying the visit to "let the antibiotics work" tends to mean a bigger problem when you do arrive.
Is a gum abscess different from a tooth abscess?
Somewhat. A gum abscess usually starts in a deep gum pocket rather than inside a tooth, and treatment focuses on cleaning out that pocket. Both are seen the same day, and the X-ray tells our dentist which one you have.