The primary treatment for a tooth abscess is always surgical: drainage, root canal, or extraction. Antibiotics alone cannot cure an abscess because they can’t remove the source of the infection.

Sasha Ross, DMD, MS, is a board-certified periodontist who has been with the Cleveland Clinic since 2013. She earned her dental degree from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and completed her ...

If you have any injury with open skin, you need to take care of it to avoid infection. Keeping a wound clean, washing your hands before touching it, and following any instructions from your doctor ...