A dental abscess is an infection in the mouth that can be caused by a tooth or gum condition. Dental abscesses can be very painful, or not painful at all. A true abscess is a collection of pus in the bone and or gum tissue. Many times it can be seen on the gum tissue and look like a blister. To treat the condition, the assiciated tooth must either have a root canal or be extracted. However, if it is related to the gums, a proper dental cleaning may be able to resolve the condition. Only a dentist can make these assesments, and perform the proper treatment!