How Long Can a Tooth Infection Go Untreated?
Tooth infections are common conditions that can affect your teeth. They’re caused by bacteria and other germs, which can get into the root of your tooth and cause pain, swelling, or decay.
Fortunately, they’re usually easy to treat with medication or a dental appointment. If left untreated, an emergency tooth infection can lead to serious health problems, including cellulitis and even sepsis.
What are Tooth Infections?
A tooth infection is a bacterial infection in the gums, bones, and teeth. Tooth infections are common, affecting up to 40% of people at some point in their lives.
Tooth infections can be caused by germs that get into your mouth when you brush too hard or don’t floss regularly enough, by decay from eating food that has bacteria in it; or by bacteria.
What are the Causes of Tooth Infections?
Tooth infections occur when an infection enters the body through a break or crack in the tooth, it can travel deep into your jawbone and cause an abscess or cyst to develop.
Infections at this level may be painful because they affect sensitive tissues around your mouth, like the gums and tongue; this makes it difficult to eat normally.
What are the Symptoms of Tooth Infection?
The common signs of infected teeth include:
- You have swollen gums and gums that bleed easily. This is a sign that there’s an infection in your mouth. It can also cause pain when biting down on food or something hard like a straw and sensitivity in your mouth.
- Bad breath—this one is highly subjective but may indicate an underlying health problem rather than an actual infection! But if you notice having bad breath after eating something spicy like chili peppers, this may be worth checking out further before diagnosing yourself with gum disease.
What Happens if the Tooth Abscess is Left Untreated?
If a tooth abscess is left untreated, it can cause serious problems. The infection could spread to other teeth, jawbones, and neck.
Left untreated, this can lead to permanent damage that makes it difficult for you to eat or speak properly.
The risk of infection spreading beyond the infected area depends on how severe the abscess was when you first noticed it and what type of tissue was damaged by the bacteria (soft tissue vs. hard).
How Long Does The Tooth Infection Take to Spread?
The tooth can go untreated for several weeks or months, which is how long it takes for the abscess to develop. But, once the pus-filled pockets form, they can cause noticeable swelling and pain around the affected region.
Additionally, it can take a few more weeks for the infection to spread to the nearby tissues and cause the death of the tooth or inflammation.
How Do You Know if a Tooth Infection Has Spread?
Tooth infections can be extremely painful, and if left not treated properly, they can spread to the nearby tissues and cause;
- Swelling in the face, jaw, or neck
- Redness or pus around the affected tooth
- Pain that radiates beyond the infected tooth
- Bad taste in the mouth
- Difficulty swallowing
Symptoms of Tooth Infection (abscess) Spreading to the body?
A tooth infection can spread if you have a weakened immune system or if it is left untreated. Symptoms of the infection spreading include fever, chills, body aches, tiredness, and swollen lymph nodes.
It’s crucial to see an emergency dentist right away if you experience any of these symptoms to prevent the infection from spreading.
What are the Complications of Tooth Abscess?
The complications of tooth abscess are usually localized to the area of infection. If left untreated, they can lead to:
- Localized swelling in your gums and jawbone that may feel tender
- Pain on chewing or swallowing (dental pain)
- Swelling around your face and throat that may cause discomfort when you swallow or talk
- Fever with body aches, headache, and ear pain if not treated promptly
How Are the Tooth Infections Treated?
When it comes to treating tooth infections, there are several options. The dentist may prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection. If the infection is severe, they may recommend extracting the tooth so it can be saved and treated with root canal treatment.
If you have an abscess on your tooth, you’ll want to consult with an emergency dentist in Huntington Beach right away so that they can diagnose what’s going wrong and how best to treat it.
Schedule an Appointment
Visit Seascape Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry for more information about tooth infections and how you can prevent them.