Tooth infections are very common because a human’s tooth remains in use continuously with exposure to different types of substances. Now, due to improper tooth care, facing dental abscesses is not a surprising thing. It’s very important to understand that people don’t believe in proper tooth care until they face a severe health issue. Yes, you hear it right. Ignoring tooth infection or poor tooth care can cause severe health issues, which may lead to death also. So here we will discuss tooth abscesses, proper tooth care, and most importantly, how long until a tooth infection kills you. Let’s get into it.
Table of Contents
What is Tooth Infection?
Well, Tooth infection is a huge topic. But generally, a tooth infection is a bacterial infection inside your mouth. More specifically, it is a pocket of pus in your teeth, gums, and surrounding areas. Now, this infection usually occurs due to the entry of bacteria inside the mouth. The bacteria may enter your mouth in multiple ways.
But the most common reason behind the existence of bacteria is food particles. When food particles remain stuck anywhere inside your mouth, especially in between the tooth and gums, they convert into bacteria. Apart from this, there are many other reasons like cavities, injury, etc.
How Tooth Infection Affect You: Signs And Symptoms
Tooth infection may sound common, but its consequences are not common. But before it troubles you significantly, it gives some signs as a warning. Below are some signs & symptoms that indicate you are facing tooth abscesses.
Pain
Pain, usually intermittent, is the first and the most important sign. Tooth or gums don’t generally pain until something is damaging them. The pain starts in the affected area, and slowly, it spreads. Initially, the pain is swift and inconsistent. But as the infection spreads, the pain may become unbearable. You will face pain during eating, drinking, and gargling.
Swelling
Another prominent symptom of tooth infection is swelling. Sometimes, this symptom occurs even before pain when the infection is in your gums. Now, this swelling may be visible outside near your chicks. Internal swelling might not trouble you until it starts paining. Swelling spreads faster than pain, and you can also see significant effects on your face.
Sensitivity
It is also a major indication that people usually ignore it. This is because sensitivity is not specific to tooth infection only. But if you are facing sensitivity to hot and warm substances at the same time while eating anything, it means this sensitivity is not normal. Simply put, it is an alarming sign if you are facing sensitivity while chewing even soft items.
Smell
In most cases of tooth infection, you will witness a bad smell from your mouth. This indicates something is decomposing inside your mouth. Not only smell, you will also find a change in your taste. It means you will not like even the most delicious cuisine due to bad taste.
Fever
The last and final symptom. Yes, it is considered a final symptom, and the situation starts getting out of control. You may face intermittent fever if your infection is serious or has affected a large area. Such fever is not dangerous, but yes, it is a sign of something dangerous inside your mouth.
How long until a tooth infection kills you: 4 Situations
As we have discussed some important symptoms, it’s time to talk about how long until a tooth infection kills you. Well, there are very few chances that a tooth infection kills you, but yes, it can easily put you in a life-causing situation. Let’s understand this in detail.
#1. Delay in Treatment
The most important factor that makes a tooth infection severe is delay in treatment or no treatment. Sometimes, people take painkillers, antibiotics, and other regular medicines to get rid of the implications of a tooth infection.
However, it only provides short-term relief, and most importantly, it doesn’t impact the root cause of those implications. Slowly, the infection affects the mouth and other body parts, leading to serious health issues.
#2. Medical Conditions
Medical conditions of an individual play an important role in the treatment and recovery of other health issues. If a person is fighting diseases like cancer or diabetes, it will be difficult for his body to fight another severe infection. However, this happens only in the case of severe tooth infections. If you have treated an infected tooth, your body will recover easily.
#3. Age
Untreated tooth infection is highly risky for old age people. Older ones have weak immune systems, and there is a high chance that they are diagnosed with other diseases like diabetes. Due to this, tooth infections can lead to severe and life-causing health issues.
Sometimes, excessive infection doesn’t allow people to take anything normally through their mouth. In such cases, external tubes are used, which leads to more problems.
#4. Improper Treatment
Proper and timely treatment is needed because the tooth is one of the most sensitive parts of our body. Any unnecessary medicine or gel can lead to serious implications. Apart from this, regular and timely treatment is needed; Otherwise, the infection may reoccur after some time. Irrelevant medicines can further increase the infection to other parts of the body, starting from the throat and lungs.
How long until a tooth infection kills you?
Now that you are aware of the serious implications, which may even lead to death, it’s important to understand how long until a tooth infection kills you. So, there is no specific time limit. Life-causing situations will definitely take time, and it also depends upon your immunity, age, etc. However, if you are facing serious medical conditions already or chronic diseases, the risks will increase and will show a negative impact in less time.
Ultimately, when the infection impacts only the mouth and target area, it is under control, but when it starts targeting other body parts, its pace of attack increases.
Wrapping Up
Now that you are aware of the serious implications of tooth abscesses, it is important to give extensive care to oral health. Go for regular checkups and follow your dentist’s advice as much as possible. Tooth infections are not life-causing. But if ignored or not treated properly, they can put a man’s life at risk.
The lesson is that if you are facing even a little pain or any unusual effects, instead of thinking how long until a tooth infection kills you, consult your dentist ASAP.
See Also…
How Long Does It Take To Pull a Tooth – Quick Answer
How To Brush Your Teeth Without A Toothbrush {7 Ways}
