What are the Dangers of an Abscessed Tooth?

An untreated tooth abscess is very dangerous. If an abscessed tooth is left untreated, the tooth infection can spread and you can lose your tooth or have other health problems. Left untreated, a tooth abscess may compromise the immune system and in some cases may become life-threatening.  A tooth abscess complication includes tooth loss, jaw bone damage, neighboring tooth damage or loss, sinus problems, brain abscess, heart damage, hospitalization, coma, and even death.

Complications of an Abscessed Tooth May Include: 

• Loss of the Tooth
• Spread of infection to soft tissue (facial cellulitis, Ludwig's angina)
• Spread of infection to the jaw bone (osteomyelitis of the mandible or maxilla)
• Sinusitis, it is any infection or inflammation of the sinus cavities behind the nose and eyes (It is very common with an estimated 37 million cases annually in the USA. Symptoms vary according to which sinus cavity is infected.)
• Facial disfigurement as it eats away the facial bones
• Teeth falling out as the tooth abscess destroys the jaw holding the tooth

Spread of infection to other areas of the body resulting in cerebral abscess, endocarditis, pneumonia, or other disorders.  A rare abscessed tooth complications - Ludwig's angina and mediastinitis. While a life-threatening deep neck infection is an uncommon complication of tooth abscess, dentists should be able to recognize the signs and symptoms. The patient should be examined for swelling below the inferior border of the mandible, fever, excessive trismus, floor of mouth or tongue elevations, and deviation of the pharyngeal walls. In addition, the signs of an impending airway disaster, including muffled voice, inability to tolerate secretions and protruding tongue, should be carefully evaluated. Quick referral to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and early definitive care will minimize the morbidity and mortality of these serious infections.

The Worst Abscessed Tooth Danger - Death

Tooth abscess can cause the death of the tooth and it can literally be the death of you. If a tooth abscess if left untreated it can grow and spread through the soft tissue of the face and cause dramatic outward facial swelling called cellulitis.

If a person waits until the gum is so swollen that they have difficulty breathing or opening their mouth, the situation is very dangerous. It is not the "poison" of infection that makes the tooth abscess deadly, but its growth that can choke off our ability to breathe. That is the type of tooth abscess that can kill if left untreated.