How long until a tooth infection kills you? It is rare for a tooth infection to kill you, but it is possible if it is untreated for a prolonged period. Why? Because it can spread to other tissues in your body within weeks to months and lead to potentially life-threatening complications and issues. A tooth infection can occur from tooth decay, injury, or previous dental procedures.
How long until a tooth infection kills you? iStock-photo credit: fizkes
It is important to understand that because of so many advances in medicine and dental hygiene it is extremely rare to die from a tooth infection.
Historically tooth infections led to death so much more often a couple of centuries ago than now. In the 1600’s in London dental infections were listed as the fifth leading cause of death. And up until 1908 dental infections which lead to death happened 10 to 40 percent of the time.
An abscess is one of the most common things that come from a tooth infection. And it takes several months to develop, and the reason is because it takes a while to reach and damage the pulp at the center of the tooth.
Bacteria can enter the tooth quicker because of the trauma and injury. Most people will know when they have an abscess because it precedes swelling and a lot of pain in that tooth area. Antibiotics can temporarily treat the pain, but most of the time the only way to rid that pain is through a tooth extraction or a root canal because it has affected the root.
A tooth abscess that is untreated for awhile can spread to the jaw, neck, and brain. Some of the mild symptoms that will lead you to believe that you have a tooth infection is:
- Bad Breath
- Red or swollen gums
- Discoloration of an affected tooth
- Extreme tooth sensitivity
- Throbbing pain in that affect tooth area.
And some of the serious symptoms if you have a major tooth infection:
- Headache
- Nausea
- High Fever
- Difficulty breathing
- Rapid Heart rate
Some of the tips to prevent a tooth infection is:
- Brush your teeth twice a day
- Floss between your teeth each day.
- Make sure to do regular dental teeth cleaning and exams.
The Bottom Line it is rare for someone to die from a tooth infection because of so many advances in medicine and dental hygiene. But it is important to know if a tooth infection is left untreated for an extended period of time it can lead to major illness and be potentially life threatening.
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About Author- Obi Obadike
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References
- Erazo D, Brizuela M, Whetstone DR. Dental Infections. [Updated 2023 Nov 13]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK542165/
- Léonor Costa Mendes, Frédéric Vaysse, Delphine Maret, “Brain Abscess Secondary to a Dental Infection”, Case Reports in Emergency Medicine, vol. 2020, Article ID 3248174, 3 pages, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/3248174
- Green, A., Flower, E. & New, N. Mortality associated with odontogenic infection!. Br Dent J 190, 529–530 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4801024
