There are ways to relieve the pain and swelling associated with your infected tooth, including saltwater rinses with or without baking soda, hydrogen peroxide rinses, and cold compresses. While these treatments can all help with symptoms, a dentist will be able to let you know whether you need further treatment. Your dentist will start at the source of your infection, in this case, the abscess. An abscess is a pocket of pus that forms around the tooth as a result of an infection. Your dentist will drain it intentionally if the abscess doesn’t burst on its own. If the abscess is serious enough, you may require a root canal or tooth removal. While getting rid of the abscess is important, you might also require antibiotics to get rid of any bacteria that are still in the area.