You may not consider your tooth infection a dental emergency; however, if you let it be and do not get prompt treatment, it can turn into one. So, how fast does a tooth infection spread to become life-threatening?
There is no specific period for it; your infection may spread to your tissues and systemic system in mere weeks!
So, do not wait it out and let your tooth infection kill you; talk to your dentist and remedy it immediately!
20 Telltale Signs of Your Tooth Infection Spreading
Here is a list of the top 20 screaming signs that indicate your tooth infection has turned into an abscess.
- Breathing or swallowing issues
- Bad taste in your mouth
- Halitosis or bad breath
- Redness and severe swelling around your gums
- Loose tooth
- Lump on your gums
- Face, neck, and cheeks swelled to a considerable extent
- Mouth and tongue in constant discomfort
- Nausea and vomiting
- Gum or mouth skin itching
- High-grade fever
- Confusion
- Persistent headache
- Doubled, or loss of vision
- Droopy eyelids
- Dehydration
- Dark urine
- Increased heart rate
- lightheadedness
- More than 25-28 breaths per minute
Treatments For Tooth Infection
Although a tooth infection can spread fast, if caught in the early stages is easily treatable via medicines. If that does not work, your dentist will resort to other ways to deal with your tooth infection.
The treatment selection depends on a few factors, such as the severity of the spread, how fast the symptoms are showing, and lastly, the way your body is reacting to it.
With that said, here are some possible treatments to fix your abscessed tooth.
Antibiotics
If your infection has not spread like wildfire, your dentist will fix the issue with antibiotics. These medications help kill bacterial load and stop the spread of infection.
However, if your case is severe, your dentist offers antibiotics through IV drips at the hospital.
Root Canal
The most sought-after treatment eliminates abscesses that travels deep within your tooth. Your dentist will drill a hole into your tooth to get rid of teh accumulated bacteria and pus in the roots.
After through-and-through cleaning, the hole is filled in using an appropriate filling material or a crown to prevent further infections.
Apicoectomy
Sometimes, root canals are not enough to get rid of the tooth infection; at that point, your dentist goes for an apicoectomy. This route makes sense once your infection has spread to the roots and tooth tissue.
An incision is made to the gums to remove the roots entirely from the tooth with the abscessed tissue.
Treating Sepsis
This is a life-threatening issue and requires an intensive care unit for treatment. There, IV (intravenous) antibiotics and other fluids are given to kill bacteria and flush them out of the system.
Final Words
You must get proper treatment for your tooth infection and kill the bacteria before it can have a chance to spread. If you suffer from an infection and want prompt treatment, Pearlshine Dental in Houston, TX, can help you with this. We are located right in front of Kroger Gas station adjacent to Little Caesers eatery. Dial (281) 477 7200 to connect with us right away.