An abscess is an internal infection. It grows under the tooth. In the old days people often died from this.
People still die from abcsessed teeth.
I've been hit in the head with a 2x4, a tire iron, and sucker-punched with a full beer bottle. I've been hit by a car. I've crashed a motorcycle doing 65 mph breaking several bones in the process including my right scapula, my right foot, my left hand, and several ribs (I also pissed blood for three days). I've been shot AND stabbed.
N-O-N-E of these things were as painful as getting my wisdom teeth removed. The roots of wisdom teeth are long and tend to be very well anchored. My wisdom teeth had to be broken with a dental hammer and a dental chisel then the broken chunks had to be dug out. The dentist had to put his foot up on the dental chair as he wrenched and pulled the chunks out. When we were all done he was covered in my blood. The deep bone level pain lasted for six days before it began to subside. I wished I was dead ... often. I developed a very close and personal relationship with morphine.
Other than that it wasn't too bad.
