Does Tooth Infection Go Away

Can An Infected Tooth Affect Your Heart Health

What puts you at risk for heart disease and other cardiovascular problems? For most people, the risk factors that typically come to mind are a poor diet, a lack of exercise, excess body weight, and excessive alcohol consumption. While these are all definite risk factors, most people dont realize that having an infected tooth or poor oral hygiene can also increase your chances of problems like heart attacks or heart disease. While its still not exactly known how your heart and oral health are related, theres a definite correlation.

Research points to poor dental health as a potential risk factor for heart disease. Its been shown that people with gum disease, tooth decay, tooth loss, and tooth infection have a higher incidence of cardiovascular problems like a heart attack or stroke. There are a few theories about why this happens. When you have an infection in your tooth or gums, the bacteria from the infection can enter your bloodstream and travel elsewhere in your body. This bacteria can cause inflammation in your blood vessels and blood clots. Other research suggests that its the bodys immune response to the bacteria that can potentially damage your blood vessels or heart. Evidence of oral bacteria has been found throughout the body, which means that the health of your mouth has a clear effect on your overall health.

Do Staph Infection Go Away On Its Own & How Long Does It Take To Recover From It

Staph, also known as Staphylococcus is a type of bacteria. These bacteria can harmlessly live on our skin surfaces, especially around the mouth, nose, and private parts. However, when the skin is punctured or if it is broken, staph bacteria can enter the wound and result in a staph infection.

Let us read the following sections and know if staph infections go away on its own, and also about how long does it take to recover from a staph infection.

What Are The Symptoms Of An Infected Root Canal

Infected root canal warning signs

• Ongoing pain that does not stop and gets worse when they bite down.
• Extreme sensitivity to foods and drinks that are hot or cold, which does not go away once finished.
• More than the normal amount of expected swelling.
• More than the normal amount of expected tenderness.

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You Experience Stomach Pain

You should call your doctor if you, your child, or your infant has a high fever. A high fever is defined as:

• adults: 103°F or higher
• children: 102.2°F or higher
• infants 3 months and older: 102°F or higher
• infants younger than 3 months: 100.4°F or higher

Get immediate medical attention if the fever is accompanied by:

A tooth becomes infected when bacteria gets into the tooth through a chip, crack, or cavity. Your risk factor for a tooth infection increases if you have:

• poor dental hygiene, including not brushing your teeth 2 times a day and not flossing
• a high sugar diet, including eating sweets and drinking soda
• dry mouth, which is often caused by aging or as a side effect of certain medications

Who Gets Tooth Infections

Youre more likely to develop tooth infections if you:

• Smoke: Smokers are about twice as likely to get tooth infections as nonsmokers.
• Have dry mouth: Bacteria thrive in a mouth with a low amount of saliva.
• Have poor dental hygiene: Regularly brushing, flossing and getting dental cleanings reduces bacteria.
• Have a weakened immune system: Diseases or medications can lower your immune response, making it harder to fight off germs.

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What’s The Best Home Remedy For A Tooth Abscess

You can take painkillers or use topical oral pain relief to lessen tooth abscess pain. Natural home remedies like clove oil and a saltwater rinse can also help. But the only way to be sure the infection is gone is to visit a dentist, who can prescribe antibiotics and check what treatment the infected tooth needs.

The Silent Danger Of Untreated Dental Infections

by Dr Thomas Choi | Mar 20, 2018 | Dental Article, Dental Infections

An infected tooth or infection of the gums is known as a dental abscess. Just as any infection, a dental abscess can cause a wide range of dangers if left untreated.

Most people have their abscessed teeth treated as the pain caused by an abscess can be extremely intense, even to the point of interfering with daily life. Others, however, dont feel a great deal of pain or choose to suffer through the pain hoping that the problem will go away on its own.

At West Ryde Dental Clinic we know that the avoidance strategy is extremely dangerous, and we urge our patients to learn more about the threat of dental infection/abscess.

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How Do You Draw An Infection Out Of A Tooth Abscess

Saltwater rinse A saltwater rinse will kill off some of the bacteria in your mouth and irrigate your mouth. It can rinse some of the debris out of your mouth and if you have an abscess it can help break up the pus surrounding the tooth. You can use regular table salt and warm tap water to make a basic saltwater rinse.

How Do I Know If My Tooth Abscess Has Burst

If an abscess ruptures, you may notice a sudden foul taste or even salty fluid in your mouth. You’ll probably also notice that your pain subsides and think that you are out of the woods. Unfortunately, this isn’t necessarily true. The rupture can be one of the first signs that the infection is beginning to spread.

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What Symptoms Should You Look Out For

Depending on the location of your abscessed tooth, how your body responds, and whether your tooth is still alive or not, patients usually experience a large spectrum of symptoms. The most common one is a severe throbbing pain near the gums of the affected tooth. It can be so intense that it wakes you up at night. Typically, the pain suddenly occurs, and it only gets worse with time. Some other signs that you have an infected tooth include:

• Pain that spreads to your ear, jaw, and neck.
• Pain that increases when youre laying down.
• Pain while you bite or chew.
• Redness and swelling.

What Happens If The Infection Spreads

There is little chance that a tooth infection will spread to other parts of the body. Patients that have any of the below symptoms should call our office right away. Infections that spread can be life threatening and should be taken seriously.

• Nausea
• Swelling around the face or mouth

Pain that does not subside

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Questions To Ask Your Dentist

If you suspect you have a mouth abscess, here are some questions you may wish to ask your dentist at your appointment:

• Which type of oral abscess do I have?
• What treatment do you recommend?
• Are there any other options for treatment of the infection?
• How long will treatment take, and how many visits will I need?
• Will I need to take time off work to recover?
• How often should I come for check-ups in future?
• What oral care products do you recommend?

In some cases, damaged teeth become discoloured over time. You may want to ask your dentist how likely this is in your case, and what tooth whitening options may be available if you do experience tooth discolouration.

The Difference Between An Abscess And An Infection

A tooth infection can take the form of a cavity, pulpitis, or an abscess. Yes, a dental cavity is an infection. It causes the enamel, or hard surface, of the tooth to begin to break down. This can be painful, if it happens quickly, but many cavities dont cause symptoms.

If the infection extends into the middle of the tooth the pulp it causes pulpitis. This usually causes a toothache, which can be aggravated by hot and cold foods and liquids.

Finally, if the infection is not treated and continues to spread, it can form an abscess. After the infection has spread through the middle of the tooth and has nowhere else to go, it forms a pocket of pus, which is an abscess.

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What Risk Factors Can Lead To Complications From An Abscess

There are several risk factors that can increase your chances of having complications from a dental abscess, including:

• older age

• It can potentially take several months for a dental abscess to develop.
• Once an abscess has formed, noticeable pain and swelling around the affected tooth usually occur.
• If left untreated, it may take a few more weeks or months for the infection to spread to other tissues and cause complications. However, once this has happened, death can occur quickly.
• Factors like older age, having diabetes, or being immunocompromised can increase your risk of complications from a dental abscess.

Overall, these facts underline the importance of seeking prompt medical care if youre experiencing persistent pain or swelling around a tooth. When treated early, most tooth infections can be resolved without serious complications.

Can A Toothache Go Away On Its Own

A toothache creates a very particular and annoying pain. It can be a nagging ache or a sharp pain, and the causes of a toothache can be so varied. From a piece of food stuck in your gum, to a broken tooth, to an infection: all of these things can cause a toothache. Most times, the cause of a toothache will require a visit to the dentist. Even though it can appear that toothaches can go away on their own, just because the pain has subsided does not mean the problem has gone away on its own. Ignoring tooth pain can have some serious, long-lasting consequences, which is why seeing a dental professional about your toothache is important for your short and long-term health.

For some people, symptoms of a toothache are mild. For others, the pain might be sharp, constant, or throbbing. Often, the pain is only felt when pressure is applied to a tooth, like when biting down on something. Other symptoms of a toothache include swelling around a tooth, fever or headache, bad-tasting drainage from a tooth, and bad breath caused by an infected tooth. If you are experiencing trouble breathing or swallowing, call a doctor right away.

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What Are The Treatment Options For Tooth Abscess

If the infection is not adequately treated, it will progress, and the germs will travel to other regions of the body.

Therapy differs based on the severity of the abscess however, the general treatment plans remain the same, including:

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Treatments For A Dental Abscess

Dental abscesses are treated by removing the source of the infection and draining away the pus.

Depending on the location of the abscess and how severe the infection is, possible treatments include:

• root canal treatment a procedure to remove the abscess from the root of an affected tooth before filling and sealing it
• removing the affected tooth this may be necessary if root canal treatment is not possible
• incision and drainage where a small cut is made in the gum to drain the abscess

Local anaesthetic will usually be used to numb your mouth for these procedures.

More extensive operations may be carried out under general anaesthetic, where you’re asleep.

Antibiotics are not routinely prescribed for dental abscesses, but may be used if the infection spreads or is particularly severe.

Why Can Dental Infections Be Deadly

Most people arent aware that an infection in the mouth can spread easily. In fact in worst cases such an infection can migrate to the brain or other parts of the body. Once this has happened the infection is extremely dangerous and may even be untreatable. Even something as simple as a cracked tooth can put you at risk if infection spreads to the tooth pulp and beyond. Often, people are unaware that they have a chip or crack in their tooth that can allow bacteria inside. By the time the chip or crack is identified, the damage is already done.

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Treatment For A Tooth Infection

There are many ways for your dentist to treat a tooth infection. The type of treatment depends on several factors, like to what extent the infection has spread, and the initial location of the abscess. Read further as we explain the possible different treatment for a tooth infection.

Root Canal Treatment: It may be necessary to receive a root canal treatment. This can help treat abscesses deep inside the tooth. The procedure requires the dentist to drill into the tooth and remove the pocket of pus and bacteria at the root of the tooth. Once finished, the dentist will fill the space with a material called gutta-percha. After the tooth is healed, the dentist can restore the tooth with a crown, or a filling to prevent an infection from happening again.

What Are The Symptoms Of A Tooth Infection Spreading To The Body

Signs of a tooth infection spreading include feeling generally unwell, headache, fever, swelling, increased heart rate, difficulty breathing, dehydration and stomach pain. How do you know if a tooth infection has spread? If your abscessed tooth symptoms have taken a turn for the worse, you need to seek emergency medical attention.

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Symptoms Of Tooth Infection Spreading To The Brain

A dental abscess can also travel to the brain, leading to the development of another abscess. If the infection reaches your brain, it can be life-threatening.

Since a brain abscess is so dangerous, the condition requires a visit to the hospital or emergency room for urgent treatment. A brain abscess is relatively rare but can occur if the dental infection is left untreated.

Symptoms of a brain abscess :

• Fever
• Going in and out of consciousness

Summary

Dental abscesses can lead to brain abscesses . This is why you should never leave them untreated. Vision changes and body weakness on one side are common with brain abscesses.

Can an Infected Tooth Make You Sick?

Poor oral hygiene and neglected dental care allow the harmful bacteria in your mouth to cause infections. Eventually, an untreated tooth infection can make you sick.

If left untreated, a dental abscess can have serious consequences on your oral health and entire body.

How Is An Abscessed Tooth Treated

Goals of treatment are to eliminate the infection and prevent complications. Treatment options include:

• Incision and drainage: Your dentist makes a small incision in the abscess to drain the pus. Sometimes a small rubber drain is placed to keep the area open for drainage.
• Root canal: This option helps to eliminate the infection and save your tooth. This common procedure removes the tooths infected inner pulp, and fills the space with material to prevent another infection. The inner pulp is important when the tooth is growing but once its mature, the tooth can survive without the pulp. After the procedure, your tooth should be back to normal, though you may need a crown to protect the root canal. If you care for the restored tooth properly, it can last a lifetime.
• Tooth extraction: Sometimes the tooth cannot be saved, and your dentist may need to pull or extract the tooth allowing pus to drain from the socket.
• Antibiotics: If the infection is limited to the abscessed area, you many not require antibiotics, but sometimes your dentist may recommend them to assist with your dental treatment. It is important to know, that while this medication may help fight off remaining bacteria, it will not get rid of the cause of the infection, which is the affected tooth.

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