How Long Until a Tooth Infection Kills You? An untreated tooth infection can seem like a nuisance. But in reality, a minor infection can become a bigger problem and even spread to other parts of the body. The presence of a dental infection is an indication that bacteria have moved into the soft tissue and caused damage.
If the infection is treated properly, the body can heal. On the other hand, untreated infections can continue to worsen and eventually lead to a condition where the immune system is unable to fight the infection.
Can Dental abscesses kill you?
If you are wondering how long it takes for a How Long Until a Tooth Infection Kills You?, you need to know how the infection grows and spreads to other parts of the body. When bacteria enter the tooth and reach the soft tissue area in the middle of the tooth (known as the pulp), an infection usually develops.
Over time, this infection can continue to develop and cause abscesses around the affected tooth. This abscess is a pocket of infection and pus, and continues to worsen and can cause severe symptoms such as pain, toothache, etc.
Years ago, before the development of modern dentistry, dental infections were a common cause of death. In fact, back in 1908, between 10 and 40 percent of dental infections were fatal. These numbers are shocking, especially since deaths from dental infections are rare in modern and developed societies.
Now that we have made so many advances in dental knowledge and care, it is not uncommon for people to die from dental infections. People may wonder: Can a dental infection kill you? The answer: This is impossible because of the medical treatment available today.
How Long Until a Tooth Infection Kills You?
How long before a tooth infection kills you? A better question is: How long does it take for a dental infection to spread to the heart? Just because you have a tooth infection doesn’t mean your life is in danger. But when the infection becomes septic and/or reaches the heart, it can disrupt major organs and cause serious health problems that can be fatal.
How Long Until a Tooth Infection Kills You? Life-threatening complications can occur from untreated dental infections, including:
- Sepsis: Infection spreads throughout the body and severe reactions occur.
- Necrotizing fasciitis: A severe infection that begins to kill soft tissue in the mouth and throughout the body.
- Mediastinitis: Inflammation that occurs between the lungs and can interfere with breathing.
- Endocarditis: Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart.
- Blood clots: Infections can cause blood clots, especially in the sinuses. Because the clot is close to the brain and eye, it can cause serious complications.
- Brain abscess: The spread of infection to the brain can lead to the formation of pus in the brain area.
- Osteomyelitis: An infection that develops in bone tissue and can continue to spread.
Patients do not always experience this complication due to dental infection. But medical providers and dentists will monitor for potential signs, if the condition continues to worsen and affect other parts of the body.
Risk factors that increase the likelihood of complications
Remember that some patients have risk factors that increase the likelihood of serious complications from a serious dental infection. If you have any of these risk factors, it’s important to seek dental and medical attention as soon as possible:
- Elderly: The elderly are at increased risk of dental infection leading to serious life-threatening conditions. It is more common for adults to develop serious complications in the short term.
- Diabetes: People with diabetes are at risk for other health complications, including serious dental infections that can have fatal consequences.
- Immune function: Patients with a weakened immune system have problems with the body’s response to infection. As a result, there may be a risk of complications from dental infections.
- Malnutrition: The whole body becomes weak if there is a lack of nutrition, which can make it difficult to fight infections and related complications.
How long does it take for a tooth infection to kill you?
If you’re wondering how long a dental infection will take before it kills you, it’s important to understand the timeline of how the infection develops and spreads. The first step is the appearance of a dental abscess, which begins to decay. As the cavities proliferate, it may take several months for an abscess to appear. It takes some time for the cavity to reach the pulp in the center of the tooth.
But this process happens faster if there is trauma or injury to the teeth. This weak point in the tooth causes bacteria to reach the center of the tooth faster. Therefore, severe dental infection becomes more common after dental injury.
If there is an abscess, you will feel toothache and notice swelling in the affected tooth. This stage of dental infection can last for weeks or even months before the patient seeks emergency dental care. The longer the infection goes untreated, the more likely it is to spread to other parts of the body.
Once the infection begins to spread to the brain, heart, neck, etc., if medical treatment is not provided, death can occur immediately, even in a few days. But most people seek medical and dental care early, and medications can be used to stop the infection before death.
How do you know if a tooth infection has spread to the bloodstream?
When the How Long Until a Tooth Infection Kills You spreads to the bloodstream, it is called sepsis. This serious infection can be very serious and is one of the leading causes of death due to dental infections. But rest assured, know that sepsis after a bacterial infection is rare. When this happens, it can be life-threatening if medical care is not provided properly.
What are the chances of getting sepsis from a dental infection? The risk is very low if the dental infection is treated at an early stage. The longer a dental infection goes untreated, the greater the risk of developing sepsis. Therefore, early detection and treatment are key to prevent this serious systemic infection.
A two-step approach to treating acute dental infections
If there is a severe How Long Until a Tooth Infection Kills You your dentist will likely recommend antibiotics to stop the infection as soon as possible. Depending on the severity of the infection, medication may be given in oral or intravenous pill form to deliver the antibiotic into the bloodstream quickly.
While antibiotics can stop the infection, it is also necessary to treat the cause: cavities. If the tooth is saved, the dentist may recommend a root canal. This treatment removes infected and damaged areas, including the pulp and soft tissue in the center of the tooth. Restorative treatment is then used to seal the tooth and rebuild the tooth structure (often with a crown).
In some cases, the tooth cannot be saved and the dentist may recommend extraction. This treatment is usually a last resort. While extracting a tooth is not a good idea, sometimes it is necessary to treat the infection and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the body.
Final Thought: How Long Until a Tooth Infection Kills You?
Although it may take several weeks or months for a severe dental infection to develop and spread to other parts of the body, do not risk dental treatment. If you can tell there is a problem with your teeth, it is important to seek dental help as soon as possible to avoid complications.
The best way to maintain a healthy smile for life is by taking a proactive approach to preventive dentistry. Regular dental checkups are an important step in detecting potential problems at an early stage, helping to reduce the risk of serious dental infections that can lead to serious health problems or death
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