A
Periodontal abscess (also termed
lateral abscess, or
parietal abscess), is a localized collection of
pus (i.e. an
abscess) within the tissues of the
periodontium. It is a type of
dental abscess. A periodontal abscess occurs alongside a tooth, and is different from the more common
periapical abscess, which represents the spread of infection from a dead tooth (i.e. which has undergone
pulpal necrosis). To reflect this, sometimes the term "lateral (periodontal) abscess" is used. In contrast to a periapical abscess, periodontal abscesses are usually associated with a vital (living) tooth. Abscesses of the periodontium are
acute bacterial infections classified primarily by location.