Would it be a good idea to pop my abscessed tooth?

Probably not: It will drain on its own. If you have an abscess from a tooth it needs the attention of a dentist. Waiting can make the situation worse and in rare cases it can be life threatening.

Dental Abscess: You should leave that to your dentist. It's known as incision and drainage. It's a process and not just "popping" the abscess.

Be careful: Make sure you are not making the problem worse by touching the swelling with a non-sterile object.

Drainage: An abscess is an accumulation of cells the body has sent to the infection to combat the condition. Once they are destroyed they need to be removed from the site. In order not to introduce new bacteria to the area this process should be accomplished in a sterile maner. It would be best to see your dds to avoid complicating your infection. However warm salt water may assist the process.