Question

Treatment of choice for an acute alveolar abscess with severe pain is to

A. administer antibiotics.
B. take the tooth out of occlusion.
C. debride the pulp space and establish drainage of the involved area.
D. apply warm compresses to the external surface of the face.
E. perform a pulpotomy or a pulpectomy followed by application of antimicrobial intracanal medicaments.

Answer 1

To treat an acute alveolar abscess with severe pain, the best approach is to debride the pulp space and establish drainage, often through a root canal procedure, to remove the source of infection and relieve pain.

Step-by-step explanation:

The treatment of choice for an acute alveolar abscess with severe pain is to debride the pulp space and establish drainage of the involved area. This is essential to remove the infection and alleviate the pain caused by the accumulation of pus. While administering antibiotics may be supportive, removing the source of infection is a priority. A root canal is one possible procedure to debride the pulp. This involves removing the infected tissues within the tooth, which prevents the spread of the infection that could lead to more painful abscesses. In some cases, more severe treatments may be necessary, such as a pulpotomy or pulpectomy, where the pulp of the tooth is removed to aid in draining the abscess and preventing the spread of infection.