I have a small tooth infection, which I can’t afford to do anything about right now. It doesn’t hurt anymore. My dentist said that if I don’t take care of the infection, then it could spread to my brain and kill me. Is that true or is he just trying to scare me in order to get me to pay for the root canal?
Margie
Dear Margie,
While it is true that a tooth infection can spread to your brain, and if it is in your lower jaw, it can spread to your throat and close it up, or move to your heart. Between six to ten people die from tooth infections every year. I know you said that the infection doesn’t hurt anymore. That could be for one of two reasons.
First, if your dentist gave you some antibiotics. At first the antibiotics will make your infection feel much better. However, once the antibiotics run out, the infection is going to flare up again. A second way this can happen is if the infection has killed the pulp inside the tooth. You’re not currently feeling pain, but as it spreads outside the tooth, you will start to hurt again. Sometimes this manifests as a pimple on your gums, known as an abscess.
You might be fine for now, but if it starts to hurt again, I would consider it a dental emergency and get that tooth dealt with as soon as possible. The ideal treatment is to have a root canal treatment so that you can keep your natural tooth. If it is no longer possible to save the tooth, then you would have to have the tooth extracted.
You will want to replace the tooth, unless it is a wisdom tooth, because otherwise the adjacent teeth will shift or tip into the empty space. This will throw off your bite, which can lead to jaw pain, headaches, and even TMJ Disorder. The earlier a tooth infection is treated, the least invasive (and least expensive) treatment you need.
This blog is brought to you by a compassionate, shame free dentist in Kalamazoo, Dr. Susan Dennis.