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Posted on 12/15/2019 by Platte Valley Dental Care |
If you have ever had a tooth that has abscessed, you probably remember it very clearly. There are many times people don't seek dental care for minor cavities. Busy schedules, lack of insurance, high pain tolerance or just plain fear of the dentist. Once a tooth abscesses, it can have long term critical consequences if left untreated.What Happens When a Tooth Starts To Abscess?When you have a tooth that has a cavity, it burrows its way in, eroding into your tooth's soft center. The soft dentin inside your tooth eventually becomes infected. A small pocket of pus develops and swells up to the point it doesn't have any more room.This backs up the tooth root causing the gums to swell. Even your face and cheek can start to swell. After enough pain and time go by, you may have experienced the feeling of the abscess leaking in your mouth and the pressure is relieved. After the foul taste leaves your mouth. Many feel they have made it through the hard part and it's healing. It isn't. Long-Term Effects of Leaving The Abscess UntreatedIf you don't address the problem, you can quickly develop a fever, which is a sign the infection has made its way into your bloodstream. This can be life-threatening and there are hundreds of admissions to hospitals at this stage that result in death. You can develop cysts.A fluid will start to fill up the inside of your jawbone and then surgery is needed to stop the pain and remove it. Sepsis is when the bacteria continues to spread throughout your body untreated. Once it gets into your head, neck, and vital areas, it becomes life threatening. If you or someone you know is suffering from a tooth that is abscessing, seek medical care immediately. Call our office to inquire into emergency care and help. Leaving it untreated will only allow it to get much worse. |