Published September 2026
- An infection has built up a pocket of pressure beside the tooth
- The area is numbed first
- A tiny opening is made so the pressure can let go
- The swelling settles and the ache usually eases quickly
- The tooth that caused it is treated at a visit of its own
Who usually does it
general dentist. General dentists drain simple abscesses; larger ones go to an oral surgeon.
One question worth asking
What treats the cause once this has drained?
Draining an abscess through the skin
D7520. The cut is made on the face or neck, outside the mouth.
An abscess is a pocket of pus from a tooth or gum infection. The dentist makes a small opening to let it drain, inside the mouth or, rarely, through the skin. The tooth itself is treated separately afterwards.
A small opening is made so the pus can drain, which takes the pressure off quickly. Draining does not deal with the source, so the tooth or gum is treated afterwards, and antibiotics are sometimes given alongside. Rarely the drainage is done through the skin instead of inside the mouth. Codes are counted by site.
Codes for this
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