dental disorders
How To Drain a Tooth Abscess
Warnings and Common Errors
A too-small incision will commonly result in tearing of mucosa; err on the side of too long (at least 1 to 2 cm). An incision that is not sufficiently deep will hamper effective drainage. In general, incise at least to the depth of the swelling, or down to bone (particularly important for abscesses that have spread by dissecting under the periosteum). For an abscess near the infraorbital or mental nerve, place the incision so as to avoid injury to these structures, and dissect carefully. 