Here is a list of some infections and their symptoms. If you experience any of the following symptoms, seriously consider consulting your dentist.

Symptoms: Pain, swelling, redness of the face; possible nausea or fever
Diagnosis: Possibly a dental abscess
What is a dental abscess? A dental abscess is a collection of infected material in your tooth or surrounding bone. From there the infection can start causing pain and swelling. The way to avoid this scenario is proper dental hygiene; brush and floss three times a day AND to see your dentist on a regular basis.

Symptoms: "Cottage cheese" on your mouth or tongue, pain, fever, difficulty swallowing
Diagnosis: Possibly Thrush (yeast infection)
What is Thrush? Thrush is a form of the candida fungus, otherwise known as a yeast infection. Difficulty swallowing is associated with a lot of medical symptoms, but if that discomfort is paired with raised lesions on your tongue that look like cottage cheese, you may have a bigger problem.

Symptoms: Toothache, noticeable intolerance to hot or cold substances on your tooth
Diagnosis: Possibly a cavity
What is a cavity? Cavities are caused by an excess of food products that are detrimental to your teeth, coupled with a lack of oral hygiene. The bacteria from the food starts to eat away at your tooth from the inside out, until you start getting the symptoms listed above. Regular trips to the dentist can help avoid this scenario.

These are just a few of the symptoms of an infection that are commonly experienced. To avoid these issues in the first place, proper dental hygiene is all that is needed to prevent these scenarios and symptoms. Preventative maintenance is less painful than an infection, so keep brushing and flossing. In the event you are experiencing pain, make sure to stop in and see Dr. Olsen as soon as possible.