Why Taking Care of Your Tooth Infection Is Important
What is a tooth infection and how does it develop?
A tooth infection is a cavity that starts in a tooth and if it's not treated in time with a filling, it keeps progressing and then reaches the nerve. That's what it is. A tooth infection will reach the tip of the root and create what's called an abscess.
How can a dentist tell the difference between a cavity and an infection?
What's being asked is how dentists can tell when you have just a cavity or an actual dental abscess infection. The infection looks different on an X-ray and also the symptoms are usually different. When you have an abscess, you'll start to swell. You'll have a dull ache that hurts for a while, especially with heat.
A cavity sometimes doesn't even hurt. But just because you have an abscess, you're not always going to have pain. Sometimes people come in and they don't realize they have an abscess. It's just a matter of time before that abscess kind of gets out of control and gets that person running into the dental office.
What are the risks if a tooth infection is left untreated?
The biggest one that people don't realize is that when you have a tooth infection that progresses into the nerve and kills it and then rots it out, it spreads into the tip of the root and starts to spread into your jawbone. When it spreads into your jawbone, it can also start spreading into the rest of your body. The bacteria is now at a state called septicemia.
You have bacteria circulating in your blood circulation that can reach your brain and your heart. It can be life-threatening, especially when you start to swell, your throat can close, and you can stop breathing. You'll asphyxiate from the swelling of the infection called Ludwig's angina, which could lead you into the hospital and can actually kill you. In extreme cases, that can kill you. Yes, a tooth infection can kill you.
What are the signs that a tooth infection is spreading to other parts of the body?
The biggest one is that you're swelling and you develop a fever. If your swelling and abscess are not draining, an abscess is a collection of pus in your jaw. If it's not draining, sometimes people have this funny taste. That's actually a good sign. It means it's draining. But if it's not draining, it has nowhere to go except your bloodstream. You'll usually have a fever and you'll feel swelling.
Another sign is prolonged pain to heat. When you have something hot like coffee, soup, hot water, it'll spread the liquid, the pus, and it'll hurt because of the pressure that you're developing. A tooth that has its own heartbeat is a sign. Prolonged pain, especially to heat, and running a fever, is a sign that an infection is spreading and that you have an abscess.
Do I need antibiotics prescribed by a dentist for a tooth infection?
Not always. Here's the key. If your abscess, your swelling is draining and you don't have a fever, you're good. If it's not draining and you have a fever, you typically will need antibiotics. The key is, do you have a fever and is it draining? If the abscess is draining and you don't have a fever, you're good. If you have a fever, that's one of the bigger signs.
Are there natural or home remedies that can help with tooth infections? And are they safe?
No, there aren't any home remedies that you can use to take care of an abscess because once an abscess starts, the bacteria is inside the tooth, and the only thing that's going to help it is a root canal. You would go in, put a hole in the middle, clean out the inside of the tooth, disinfect it, and then retrofill it with special filling material.
When you take antibiotics, the antibiotics and those remedies will maybe go around the tooth, but they will not go inside the tooth. Because that stuff or even the antibiotics do not reach the inside of the tooth, the only way to take care of a tooth infection is to either take it out or do a root canal if the tooth can be saved with a root canal. Sometimes it can't.
What are the most common signs of an infected wisdom tooth?
A wisdom tooth is the third molar. You have the first, second, and the very back molar that comes out anywhere between age 13 and age 21. Some people have early eruption patterns. Usually, you will have really swollen gums. It'll hurt a lot. You'll swell a lot. If you have a lower infection, sometimes your ear will hurt. That's a sign of a wisdom tooth.
Usually, people know when they have a wisdom tooth infection because they know that their teeth haven't been taken out or they're crowded or their doctor has told them that they have wisdom teeth that are stuck and need to be taken out. A lot of times infection builds in there underneath the gum line because sometimes when they're partially out, they're not easy to clean or when they're stuck in there, they create a lot of pressure and they get cavities because that area is very hard to reach. Even if they're fully out, a lot of people can't reach them. The teeth get cavities much like this one over here. You get a cavity, it keeps growing, and that's how you get an infection on your tooth.
How is an infected tooth or wisdom tooth treated and when is extraction necessary?
An infected wisdom tooth or an infected tooth is treated with a root canal if it can be saved or it has to be pulled out if you can't save it. Pulling it out or taking it out is necessary when infection has spread. If you have too big of an infection and the tooth can still be saved, but the infection is just really advanced, sometimes you just have to get that out right away and a person can't afford to keep it because it's too advanced. Usually, root canal or extraction.
What should patients do if they notice swelling in their face or jaw from a possible tooth infection?
Give us a call. Call your dentist right away. Call the oral surgeon. If you have a dentist, call a dentist. If you don't and you live in the Northern California Orinda area, call my office. If you're on the weekend and don't have access, you must go to the ER. If you're swelling out to here and there is no doctor available, you must run to the ER so you can be treated. There's usually an oral surgeon on call to help you with that.
If you’re searching for quality dental care, we’re here to help. Call (925) 272-2698 or email [email protected] to schedule your visit. Our team is committed to keeping your smile healthy.