If you have a painful toothache, don’t just wait it out and hope it goes away on its own. You might have a serious condition called a tooth abscess.
A tooth abscess is a space filled with pus that forms around the gums or root of an infected tooth.1 You can soothe the pain with home remedies, but you may need to see a dentist as soon as you can. If left untreated, the infection can spread to other parts of your body.2
Here are some symptoms and treatments for a tooth abscess.