“Can a tooth abscess be seen on an X-ray?”
The doctor has been suspecting a tooth abscess for my son who is 9 years old. What are the ways in which a tooth abscess can be detected? Is there a way that physical examination of the mouth can help the doctor identify the condition or can it be seen on an X-ray? Can the abscess show up on the X-ray in the early stages itself?
24 Answers
Usually both an X-ray and intra-oral examination are done to assess if a tooth has an abscess.
Dental abscess will show in an x-ray once it is advanced.
sometimes, usually if it is present for 6 months to a year. You can get a pulp test to identify it sooner. How old? is it the adult tooth coming in? too many possibilities. See the dentist- they will evaluate it and maybe take an x-ray.
An abscess usually will not show up on an X-ray in the early stages. An oral exam along with X-rays are often necessary in order to come up with a proper diagnosis.
Diagnosing an abscess is almost always dependent on both clinical signs and symptoms in addition to X-ray findings - sometimes the X-ray doesn't show absolutely definitively that there's an abscess, but there may be substantive signs/symptoms that are clearly indicative of an abscessed tooth. It frequently takes all of our diagnostic tools to be 100% accurate with a diagnosis.
Absolutely! It will show up as a circular greyish area around the root of the tooth in question!
It can clinically be detected and on X Ray
Most times an abcess can be seen on x-ray. My concern in your question, is that you are referring to a 9 year old son. I can only assume that you must be looking at a primary tooth. Dealing with an abscess on a primary tooth is a much easier, cheaper and quicker treatment as compared to a root canal on an adult tooth. One question we hear often is: "It's a baby tooth, shouldn't we just pull it?" Typically, the answer is: NO. Primary teeth are important to hold the space of adult teeth and should be saved until time for the tooth to be lost naturally if possible. If the problem with an abscess is on adult tooth at 9, you have a much more serious problem and it requires a much more complicated treatment due to the fact that the tooth root is not completely formed. Unfortunately you have not given me enough specific information to know exactly what we are dealing with. Feel free to get back to me when you have more information.
Dr. Lieblong
Dr. Lieblong
The earliest stages of a tooth abscess are manifested as pain, and cannot be detected by X-ray. If X-rays reveal abscessing by apical root radiolucency, the only treatments are endodontic (root canal) therapy, or regrettably, dental extraction of the abscessed tooth.
If it is a nerve abscess the bacteria shoots out the end of the root and causes swelling and possibly could be seen on the X-ray as a darkened area. Your son could have some bad taste in his mouth due to the pus that might be eliminated or it could not hurt at all. Teeth usually abscess for one of two reasons number one a bacterial infection or number two to trama. Both a physical exam and an x-ray will help to determine the exact cause and of course the exact tooth that is involved.
A peri-apical X-ray can show an abscess on the end of a tooth's root. An intraoral exam can also identify an abscess. It usually presents itself as swelling or a gum pimple near the bottom of the tooth. Make sure he is on an antibiotic to try and clear some of the infection prior to root canal therapy.
A dental abscess can usually be detected on an X-ray as a dark spot around the root of the tooth in question. You can also typically detect an abscess clinically by tapping on the teeth, the tooth in question will usually elicit a response from the patient. If a tooth is abscessed, the only treatments are extraction or root canal.
Infections may be seen on x-rays. They don't have to be symptomatic.
Narpat S. Jain, DMD, MAGD, FICOI
Narpat S. Jain, DMD, MAGD, FICOI
Maxim Bondarenko
Dentist
Yes it can be seen but not necessarily. In such cases, it relies on auxiliary tests for vitality which can be done by your dentist.
Yes it can be seen in an xray or clinically.
Richard J. Staller
Dentist
Yes!! Many times a patient will have no symptoms but we can detect a problem on the film.
Generally, an abscess can be see on a radiograph, but, sometimes it takes some time for the bacteria causing the infection to decalcify the bone to be obvious on a radiograph. A detailed clinical exam done with the proper diagnostic tools, especially the doctor's ears, can determine whether a tooth is infected or not. What I mean by ears is that if I ask the right questions, my patients will tell me exactly what is wrong.
Yes, it can especially if it's been infected for a while. There is an electric device - pulp tester that passes a small charge through the tooth and if the nerve is necrotic or "dead", he won't feel the tingle. Other signs include discolored enamel and a periodic bubble above the tooth high up under his lip.
Most of the times, it can be seen, but in the early stages of an abscess, it may not show up on any X-ray. Then, we have to make the diagnosis based on symptoms and testing of the tooth. The reason an abscess can be seen is because the infection has affected some of the bone around the root. It causes the bone to dissolve and be "eaten away", which results in a "hole" that shows up as a dark shadow. Sometimes it's very subtle, even for the dentist, and sometimes, it's very obvious.
Hi!
Usually, we see an abscess on the X-ray... if not and there are clinical evidences for an abscess, it’s because it’s in the early stage (difficult to identify on the X-ray at that stage, but it’s a matter of time). So the dentist has to do the clinical evaluation with X-ray and clinical and do the diagnostic (with the treatment plan).
Hope it helps!
Isange Remacle
Usually, we see an abscess on the X-ray... if not and there are clinical evidences for an abscess, it’s because it’s in the early stage (difficult to identify on the X-ray at that stage, but it’s a matter of time). So the dentist has to do the clinical evaluation with X-ray and clinical and do the diagnostic (with the treatment plan).
Hope it helps!
Isange Remacle
An abscess is most commonly diagnosed from an X-ray and symptoms of pain, swelling or a bad taste in one's mouth adjacent to or from an infected tooth or large cavity. Obviously, a large cavity in the mouth would be noticeable long before the pain begins. This is one reason why routine 6 month checkups with your dentist are necessary to prevent infections from getting a start. Dentist will also perform a probing exam to determine sensitivity as well as visualizing the X-ray itself. Some infections progress to the point where there is a heightened temperature.
X-ray will only radiolucency or radioopacities. Depending on clinical findings and x-ray findings your dentist will make the diagnosis.
Infections cause bone loss around the root of a tooth. A certain percentage of he bone needs to be missing before it can be seen on a dental radiograph. Typically it is a combination of the clinical exam, getting an oral history of the symptoms and a radiograph that allows us to arrive at a conclusion that there is infection.
Abscesses melt away the bone and appears dark at the tip of the tooth, but in the beginning, it is hard to see.
