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Diagnoses

Lateral periodontal abscess

About this diagnosis

Diagnoses are associated with common findings which are used to prescribe appropriate treatment.

Alternate terms: Abscess, lateral periodontal.

A lateral periodontal abscess is a painful condition in which the soft tissue around a tooth root becomes inflamed and swollen, when a deep periodontal pocket becomes sealed off at the gumline (usually by heavy calculus deposits). Without the ability for drainage to escape the pocket, bacterial infection and fluid from the body's immune response cause swelling to occur.