What is an Abscess?
Definition An abscess is an enclosed collection of liquefied tissue, known as pus, somewhere in the body. It is the result of the body’s defensive reaction to foreign material. Description There are two types of abscesses, septic and sterile. Most abscesses are septic, which means that they are the result of an infection. Septic abscesses can occur anywhere in the body. Only a germ and the body’s immune response are required. In response to the invading germ, white blood cells gather at the infected site and begin producing chemicals called enzymes that attack the germ by digesting it. These enzymes act like acid, killing the germs and breaking them down into small pieces that can be picked up by the circulation and eliminated from the body. Unfortunately, these chemicals also digest body tissues. In most cases, the germ produces similar chemicals. The result is a thick, yellow liquid–pus–containing digested germs, digested tissue, white blood cells, and enzymes.
An abscess is a collection of pus that has accumulated in a cavity formed by the tissue on the basis of an infectious process (usually caused by bacteria or parasites) or other foreign materials (e.g. splinters or bullet wounds). It is a defensive reaction of the tissue to prevent the spread of infectious materials to other parts of the body. The organisms or foreign materials that have gained access to a part of tissue kill the local cells, resulting in the release of toxins. The toxins trigger an inflammatory response, which 1) draws huge amounts of white blood cells to the area and 2) increases the regional blood flow. The final structure of the abscess is an abscess wall that is formed by the adjacent healthy cells in an attempt to build a barrier around the pus that limits the infected material from neighboring structures and also limits immune cells from attacking the bacteria.
An abscess is a term used to describe a tooth that has been infected for a period of time to show signs on x-rays. For whatever the reason decay or fracture close to or into the nerve the nerve starts to die off. This process called necrosis is the process of the nerve of the tooth dying and the body’s reaction to this is the resultant infection. The process of the nerve dying off can be very painful due to the nerve being contained within the confines of the tooth. When something gets infected in swells and gets inflamed and inside a tooth that pressure has nowhere to go, resulting in a pain some view to be the worst. Once this occurs the only treatment option left is to remove the nerve. The most common and most advised way is by root canal therapy.
