How long until a tooth infection kills you? It will take weeks up to months before the infection is life-threatening, depending on your health and how fast the thing spreads. Early treatment is crucial.
Is a Tooth Infection Life Threatening?
While true that a tooth infection can lead to death, it is not going to happen overnight via septicemia. Left untreated, it can spread to the jaw or neck and get into the bloodstream; in rare cases, bacterial infections linked with dental abscesses have been fatal. It does not occur overnight but the duration of when it becomes fatal ranges from a period of weeks to months, depending on age and health.
What causes Tooth Infections?
A tooth infection is caused by bacteria entering the innermost layers of a tooth — through cavities, cracks or trauma. Bacteria reproduces and multiplies causing pus accumulation leading to the formation of an abscess. This type of a condition is known as tooth abscess that can be experienced in two forms essentially-
Periapical Abscess:
Develops at the root of a tooth.
Abscess of the Periodontium:
Presents typically at a sulcus around a tooth.
If these abscesses are not treated in time, they will come to a head and rupture with infection spreading around the body leading very serious cases.
Stages of a Tooth Infection
1. Initial Infection (1-2 weeks)
In the early stages, infection may feel like some mild discomfort and maybe a little swelling or sensitivity to hot or cold foods. It can still be treated with antibiotics and dental care at this stage.
2. Abscess Formation (2-4 weeks)
This advances with infection and may develop a pus-filled sac somewhere causing extreme pain, swelling as well as redness in the area involved. If the abscess ruptures, you might develop a fever and have a bad taste in your mouth as well.
3. Transmission (4 to 12 weeks)
This infection can spread further to your jaw, face and even your neck or bloodstream if not treated. When it gets to this point, infections become incredibly serious as they are threatened with spread to the vital organs.
4. Complications that may threaten life (more than 3 months of duration)
If it is left untreated, repercussions of the infection include sepsis and endocarditis (an inflammation of a heart valve), in addition to brain abscesses developing over weeks-to-a-few months which could ultimately result in death.
Tooth Infection Can Lead to Deadly Complications
When a tooth infection spreads beyond the mouth it can get much, worst of all kill you. Something as simple as a tooth infection untreated could lead to some of the most severe risks, including:
Sepsis: An Immune Response Gone Wrong
A Disruption Of The Immune System In an attempt to fight invading germs within the body caused by infection —a system-wide inflammatory response is triggered. Sepsis can lead to organ failure and death if not liquidated on time.
Signs of Sepsis:
Fever, increased heart rate, confusion or changes in mental status, shortness of breath and severe tiredness.
Brain Abscess : Bacteria Reaching The Brain (Buffer Sister)
If the infection travels from your tooth to your brain you will develop an abscess which is a pocket of pus in the brain. Seizures, neurological damage or death could occur from the disease.
Brain Abscess Symptoms:
Headaches, sometimes accompanied by fever, Seizures Changes in Behavior and Vision Drowsiness
Ludwig’s Angina — in Your Airway
Ludwig angina is a life-threatening cellulitis of the soft tissues just under the tongue due to an odontogenic infection. It can block the airway and be fatal if not immediately treated.
Signs and Symptoms Of Ludwig’s Angina:
Mobility of the neck, choking during swallowing, shortness of breath and fever.
Endocarditis- Inflammation of the Heart
It then extends from the tooth to reach your heart where an inflammation called endocarditis is caused leading to infections of inner lining of the organic battery. If not taken care of, it may introduce heart failure as well as cerebrovascular accidents.
Endocarditis symptoms:
Fatigue, chest pain and shortness of breath with leg or abdominal symptoms.
Necrotizing Fasciitis: The Flesh-Eating infection
According to the CDC, which refers to it as a flesh-eating infection that happens from exposure and flooding with bacteria like Vibrio Vulnificus “rapidly” devours muscles within 24 hours of their presence in your system. If you have necrotizing fasciitis, it is very important that the condition be treated as a life-threatening medical emergency.
Signs of Necrotizing Fasciitis:
Severe pain, redness and a hard lump at the infected area.
When you have a tooth infection, how long before sepsis sets in?
Sepsis from tooth infection will develop at any time depending on the amount of health condition and how quickly it is spread through the blood flow. When it comes to sepsis, for the majority of people, once an infection reaches your bloodstream, you have a few days up until various weeks (depending) that eventually lead to sepsis. If sepsis develops, it can progress to severe septicemia in immunocompromised people with diabetes type I and II, cancer patients who receive chemotherapy or radiotherapy; Organ transplant recipients hospitalized years after the intervention for example kidney transplants & many GEOs (genetically engineered organisms), like HIV infected… etc.
We identify the early signs of infection or sepsis as a way to prevent sepsis, which can be detected in presence of fever and fast heart rate with excruciating pain. If these presentations occur, medical attention must be sought on an emergent basis to avoid transitioning into sepsis.
How Fast Can A Tooth Infection Spread To The Brain?
By the time a tooth infection spreads to brain after months or years through lack of care for such an extended period is the more prolonged duration of untreated infections has, greater will be risk that inevitably will lead into from over another andjangnaoka-like follow blood precipitated. This fever may then spread to the sinuses or blood stream and trigger a secondary infection in which case brain abscess — collection of pus in the brain itself can be developed. It gets a lot worse once it reaches the brain, and untreated that can prove fatal in extremely fast time.
Dental infections are almost never a reason for brain abscesses, but when they occur the condition is very serious. Signs like severe headaches, confusion, seizures and fevers indicate the infection may be in another part of the body, such as — worst case scenario — our brain.
How Does Dental Sepsis Feel?
Advanced dental sepsis can manifest symptoms as diverse as:
Fever > 104 degrees with shaking chills: A severe infection that the body is trying to fight off.
Increased heart rate—for example, the heart might beat faster because your body is trying to fight an infection.
Mental clarity: Prolonged spread of the infection may cause confusion and disorientation.
Many cases of sepsis are accompanied by difficulty breathing, but it is most commonly not a necessary component for the diagnosis as with shortness of breath can be caused by some instances in sepsis.
Severe exhaustion: The body uses a lot of energy to fight the infection.
If you experience any of these symptoms, get emergency medical help immediately. If not treated immediately, a dental sepsis infection can escalate to such an extent that it becomes extremely dangerous — or even fatal.
What Can I Use to Pull an Infection from a Tooth?
The only good way to get rid of an infection in a tooth is with dental therapy. If an infection is present, your treatment may vary in accordance with such:
Antibiotics — to get rid of the infection and keep it from spreading.
Root Canal:
If the infection is confined to a tooth, you may be able to have root canal therapy that will remove infected tissue and protect your tooth from further damage.
Drainage of an Abscess:
If a collection of pus develops on your forehead, it may need to be drained in order to decrease pressure and remove the infected material.
Tooth Extraction:
In extreme cases where damage from the infection has been so severe that tooth should go.
Thebest way to avoid infection is by regularly taking care of your oral health and going in every so often to see a Dentist who will clean them up.
When Does A Tooth Infection Become Deadly?
The speed at which a tooth infection turns lethal changes contingent upon various variables. Most in those who have the infection, it will spread over weeks to months and become life-threatening. However, for those with weak immune systems ascribe to diabetes and HIV among countless other sicknesses unhappiness spreads itself quicker.
Additional factors responsible for spreading the infection faster
Type 2 Diabetes:
Congested immune system to fight off infections leave body overwhelmed and facilitate the spread of infection.
Use a patient’s age:
Older patients also are more susceptible to dental infections develop problems, because their immune system is weaker.
People with Other Chronic Conditions:
Such as kidney disease or heart problems can also place a person at higher risk of death.
Compromised immunity:
Those who are receiving chemotherapy treatment, or with autoimmune diseases tend to get infected at a fast rate.
Tooth Infections: How To Avoid and Treat them
Treatment of a Tooth Infection
You should not think twice if you suspect of having a tooth infection, since this is an emergency in dentistry practice. Treatment options include:
Antibiotics — To kill the infection.
Root Canals:
Used to remove infection from within the tooth and prevent further spread of the disease.
Extraction from the Tooth:
If circumstances are more critical, extracting tooth might be needed.
Drainage of Abscess:
If you have a large abscess, your provider may choose to drain it in order to relieve pain and pressure.
Preventing Tooth Infections
Tip 12: Have Good Brushing Habits to Avoid Infected Tooth And in the mean time make sure you are brushing twice a day, flossing every single day and going to the dentist for checkup/get cleanings. Regular check up with your teeth also matter since when you detect early dental problems and go to the dentist for it, they prevent infections from spreading mimics inhuman nor vampire diseases that end as life-threatening situations.
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Schedule an Appointment Today
Don’t let a minor toothache turn into a life-threatening situation. If you’re experiencing any signs of a tooth infection, it’s crucial to seek immediate dental care. At Celebrate Dental, we specialize in preventing and treating dental infections before they become serious health risks. Book an appointment today by calling [(512) 521-7000 ] or visiting our website to schedule a consultation with our expert team.
