A tooth infection, also known as a dental abscess, can cause severe pain and lead to serious health complications if left untreated. The key question many people ask is: how long until a tooth infection kills you? Unfortunately, there is no definitive timeline, as many factors affect how quickly an infection spreads and becomes life-threatening.
However, a tooth infection should never be ignored or go untreated, as it can spread to vital organs and become fatal in some cases.
This article will examine when a tooth infection becomes an emergency, symptoms that the infection is spreading beyond the tooth. It will also look into how to know if the infection is becoming life-threatening, how long a tooth infection can safely go untreated, and how it is treated.
The goal is to educate readers on identifying the severity of a tooth infection and empower them to seek emergency dental care when showing any warning signs. So, how long until a tooth infection kills you? Ideally, you should treat it long before finding out.
When Does a Tooth Infection Become Life-Threatening?
A tooth infection spreads when the pulp – the soft tissue inside a tooth – becomes inflamed or infected by bacteria. The infection can then spread from the tooth root into the bones supporting the tooth. From there, it can spread further through the bloodstream to vital organs.
Once the infection spreads systemically, it can become life-threatening. Now, let’s find an answer to the question, “How long until a tooth infection kills you?”.
According to experts, a tooth infection can become serious when:
- It reaches the bloodstream or lungs, causing sepsis or pneumonia. At this stage, emergency care is vital.
- It spreads behind the jaw/throat area, causing swelling that obstructs breathing and the airways. Seek emergency medical care if breathing becomes impaired.
- Dangerous bacteria reach the blood, heart valves, eyes, brain, or joints. This can have devastating consequences if not treated urgently.
So when does a tooth infection warrant an emergency dental visit or a trip to the emergency room? Generally, if you experience any of the following alongside tooth pain, your infection may be spreading deeper or systemically:
Symptoms of Tooth Infection Spreading to the Body
- Swelling in the face/neck
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing
- Fever above 100°F
- Fatigue/malaise
- Rash
- Bad breath
- Swollen lymph nodes (under the jaw/neck)
Experiencing these symptoms alongside tooth pain indicates your infection is progressing and needs urgent care to prevent further spread or life-threatening complications.
How Do You Tell If a Tooth Infection is Killing You?
Instead of asking how long until a tooth infection kills you, try to look for the development of these symptoms. Once a tooth infection spreads to your bloodstream, heart, brain, lungs, or other vital organs, it becomes potentially fatal. Here are some signs a tooth infection may be turning life-threatening:
- High fever (above 103°F)
- Difficulty staying awake/conscious
- Chest pain and/or shortness of breath
- Neurologic issues like muscle weakness, vision changes, seizures
- Abnormal heart rate/rhythm
If the infected bacteria enter your bloodstream, they can release toxins causing blood pressure to crash severely. This can lead to organ failure and death if not treated immediately.
So how long until a tooth infection kills you? There may only be hours once these symptoms progress to signify the infection is attacking vital systems.
How Long Can a Tooth Infection Go Untreated?
Ideally, you should treat a tooth infection as soon as symptoms appear, before it worsens or spreads. However, many wonder how long until a tooth infection kills you and can safely go untreated.
There is no definitive timeline, as many factors affect each individual case. However, experts caution against leaving a dental infection untreated for more than a few days to a week at most. Beyond this window, the rising pus and bacteria create an extremely high risk of the infection spreading deeper through tissues or entering the bloodstream.
Once in the bloodstream, a tooth infection can become life-threatening within hours or days unless treated with strong antibiotics. Unfortunately, some people dismiss tooth pain for weeks or months before seeking help. This allows the infection ample time to spread deep into the jaw bone, surrounding tissues, sinus cavities, and eventually the bloodstream.
So an exact “safe” duration doesn’t exist for leaving a tooth infection untreated. Hence, seek immediate medical care for your tooth pain. It will give you the best chance of treating the infection before it spreads dangerously.
Treatments
Getting early treatment for a tooth infection is vital to cure it before it spreads deeper. Here’s an overview of common tooth infection treatment methods:
The first step is a dentist identifying which tooth is infected through dental x-rays, tapping teeth to identify pain locations, or probing gum pockets. They will then drain any pus built up in the gums using a small surgical procedure. This will immediately reduce swelling and the pressure in tissues surrounding the tooth root.
If the tooth can still be saved, a root canal procedure may follow. This involves cleaning out diseased tooth pulp and disinfecting the interior root canals. Then they seal the tooth to cure the infection. A crown is further placed on it to protect the tooth from future bacteria invasion.
However, if the tooth decay or infection is too severe, the dentist may need to fully extract the tooth. This immediately prevents the infected tooth from spreading bacteria further into your jawbone or gums. They may prescribe antibiotics to fight lingering infection in hard-to-reach bone areas after an extraction procedure as well.
Emergency antibiotics through IV may be administered in a hospital if the tooth infection has already spread to other regions.
Conclusion
While the typical timeframe may vary, a spreading tooth infection always warrants emergency medical care to prevent it from becoming fatal in rare cases. So, pay attention to warning signs like fever, breathing issues, or rapid swelling to get faster treatment.
So how long until a tooth infection kills you? With immediate care upon the first symptoms arising, this scenario should remain extremely unlikely.
Do not take chances with your health when experiencing tooth pain paired with other body symptoms. Instead, seek urgent dental specialist care as soon as possible for assessment and treatment before things escalate. While educating yourself on infection warning signs, also practice daily dental hygiene and routine dental exams for early detection and intervention.
Does a tooth infection always lead to death if untreated? What treatment methods offer the highest chances of halting its spread? Assess your unique symptoms and always seek emergency care right away rather than waiting to see what unfolds on your own. Your life is too valuable to gamble with.
