How Long Until a Tooth Infection Kills You?
An untreated tooth infection seems like a minor inconvenience, but in reality, it is a life-threatening condition. A minor infection can be life-threatening if it travels to other body parts.
Without treatment, a tooth infection can gradually spread to different body parts over weeks or months. Don’t wait too long for dental care, as the infection can become life-threatening in a few days or weeks.
Continue reading to learn how long a tooth infection takes to kill you and how it spreads to other parts of the body.
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Can a Tooth Abscess Kill You?
A tooth infection results when oral bacteria enter the core of soft tissues, known as pus. It is also commonly observed at the time of tooth decay. It’s a medical condition in which a bacteria starts its growth due to chipped or damaged teeth.
With enough surface area and favorable factors, bacteria grows and spreads to the nearby teeth, tissues, and roots.
If the infected teeth are treated in time, it can lead to healthy teeth and gums, but when they remain untreated, they worsen.
Along with the gradual spread of infection to other body parts, it causes a situation where the body’s immunity collapses and doesn’t keep up with the infection anymore.
When Does a Tooth Infection Become Life-Threatening?
A tooth infection can occur after dental surgery, but your dentist’s antibiotics are compelling enough to keep it underneath. Untreated tooth infections lead to complications such as:
Additionally, endocarditis, cavernous sinus thrombosis, and brain abscess are other complications that are severe in case an infection spreads and needs immediate professional help.
4 Risk Factors Associated with Tooth Infection
Remember that some patients are more prone to develop these complications than others. Some major risk factors associated with the spread of infections such as:
1: Older age
Adults of a higher age are at a higher risk of developing tooth infections that lead to severe conditions. It is more common for aged ones to experience severe medical complications than all other age groups.
2: Immunity
Due to low immunity, immunocompromised patients must fight the infections longer. Their body response to the infections is slow.
3: Diabetes
Individuals with diabetes are at a higher risk for health complications due to the impaired body’s metabolism and lack of insulin.
4: Malnourishment
If you are suffering from a chronic disease or had one in the past, there are higher chances that your body is malnourished. In such a case, getting a dental infection makes it harder for the body to fight against it.
How Long Tooth Abscess to Develop?
According to studies, tooth abscess develops over several months. It is a slow process that takes a while for the bacteria to reach the soft tissues and damage the pulp.
Moreover, for a tooth, does abscess last lantibiotics? It lasts one to three days as antibiotics kill the bacteria and leave you with a healthy smile.
Surprisingly, many individuals with solid immunity take it for months to years and live without further complications. But, being asymptomatic at times, the infection can kill you if left untreated.
Furthermore, the time a tooth abscess takes to develop also depends on the stage of tooth infection. A dentist can easily understand at what stage your infection is and what treatment is needed.
How Do You Know If a Tooth Infection Has Spread to Your Blood?
Sepsis is a medical condition where infection spreads to the bloodstream. The risk of sepsis from tooth infection at early stages is relatively low.
It is a life-threatening condition where bacteria move to other organs and body systems, resulting in severe complications.
Signs and symptoms of your infection are spread to your blood, such as a tooth infection, fa, fever, soreness, and high fever. With such signs, you need medical attention to understand what’s happening with your body and how to overcome it quickly.
The Bottom Line:
A superficial tooth infection after a dental treatment or surgery can pose serious complications to the death.
It doesn’t take long for the infection from the tooth to spread to other body parts and the bloodstream. One must consult a reliable dentist and seek immediate medical help if signs appear.
FAQs
How do you know if a tooth infection is killing you?
Sepsis is when infection travels to the bloodstream and causes signs such as high fever, rapid breathing, high heart rate, and loss of consciousness.
Can the human body fight off a tooth infection?
A tooth infection requires proper treatment to go away. Although our body can fight infections, more prolonged infections need longer treatments.
How long does a tooth infection take to spread to your brain?
Dental abscesses take weeks to months to spread to the other body parts, including the brain. If left untreated, it spreads to the brain in a few weeks.
