For acute tooth abscesses that cause severe pain or swelling, doctors can open and drain abscesses and/or try to treat with antibiotics. Obvious life-threatening abscesses may require hospitalization. Pain medications are usually prescribed until symptoms are controlled. These initial measures are usually necessary to temporarily relieve acute abscess signs and symptoms; however, further treatment is aimed at eliminating the main source of infection to prevent recurrence. The location of this primary source determines "certain" treatment options, which may include root canal therapy, periodontal treatment or tooth extraction.
