How does tooth decay affect the body?

Ruptured tooth abscesses can potentially release bacteria into your bloodstream. The germs can lead to a dangerous condition called sepsis, or blood poisoning, in some individuals. Sepsis can affect multiple major organs if you don't treat it immediately, including your lungs, kidneys, and heart.

Can a tooth infection affect your whole body?

Without treatment, a tooth infection can spread to the face and neck. Severe infections may even reach more distant parts of the body. In some cases, they may become systemic, affecting multiple tissues and systems throughout the body.

What damage can a decayed tooth cause?

Tooth decay is damage to a tooth's surface, or enamel. It happens when bacteria in your mouth make acids that attack the enamel. Tooth decay can lead to cavities (dental caries), which are holes in your teeth. If tooth decay is not treated, it can cause pain, infection, and even tooth loss.

How tooth decay affects the brain?

Recent studies have shown oral health directly affects the brain. As periodontal disease is caused by bacteria, individuals with gum disease have an increased risk of difficulty with their basic cognitive functions. When left untreated, gum disease can interfere with a person's memory and his ability to learn.

Which teeth affect which organs?

Cavities and the influence of tooth decay on health ©

Does tooth decay affect your heart?

Gum disease (periodontitis) is associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease. Poor dental health increases the risk of a bacterial infection in the blood stream, which can affect the heart valves.

What happens if you leave a rotten tooth in your mouth?

What Happens If You Leave Rotten Teeth In Your Mouth? Leaving rotten teeth in your mouth will cause severe toothache and intense pain. Also, leaving a rotten tooth in the mouth has been said to cause blood poisoning. This occurs when the rot of the teeth is deposited in the mouth and swallowed with saliva.

What happens if tooth decay is left untreated?

An untreated cavity can lead to an infection in the tooth called a tooth abscess. Untreated tooth decay also destroys the inside of the tooth (pulp). This requires more extensive treatment, or possibly removal of the tooth. Carbohydrates (sugars and starches) increase the risk of tooth decay.

Can a rotten tooth make you sick to your stomach?

You may also begin to experience stomach pain and even diarrhea and vomiting. Both of these symptoms will speed your rate of dehydration and cause even more severe problems.

What are the symptoms of a tooth infection spreading to the body?

What happens when a tooth infection gets in your bloodstream?

If the infection continues to spread, your immune system may get overwhelmed and trigger inflammation throughout the body, which is called sepsis. If sepsis isn't untreated, it can result in septic shock, a life-threatening condition that can develop when sepsis causes a person's blood pressure to drop dangerously low.

Can a tooth infection lower your immune system?

Now you might be wondering, if the mouth is an entry point for bacteria, infection, and inflammation, can my dental health affect my immune system? The short answer is yes. There are many bacteria associated with the mouth, and each has an immune suppression effect.

Can a tooth infection affect your brain?

If you have a tooth abscess you could develop meningitis. This life-threatening condition occurs when the membranes near the spinal cord and the brain become inflamed. This bacterial infection could spread to the bloodstream and surround your brain and spinal cord. Meningitis could require extensive hospitalization.

Can a rotten tooth make you dizzy?

Tooth Infection

Damage to the labyrinth, or the small, fluid-filled structure found in the inner ear that helps control balance, is generally the reason for dizziness. This is due to severe tooth infections that spread to the ear nerves. Other tooth infection symptoms include: Tooth sensitivity to hot and cold.

Can rotten teeth cause blood poisoning?

Although not an immediate consequence, dentists strongly advise that letting rotten teeth go unattended can lead to blood poisoning. This happens because the rot from the teeth keeps getting deposited into the mouth, and in most cases, it's swallowed along with saliva.

Are cavities life threatening?

Certainly, the idea of damaged or rotten teeth may sound unpleasant, what truly makes this an urgent issue are the infectious complications that can occur as a result of tooth decay. If allowed to spread, the complications can be serious or even life-threatening if left improperly treated.

Is it necessary to remove decayed tooth?

Tooth Decay

If the condition gets bad enough, then an infection can develop, causing intense pain, swelling, and redness. Once a tooth reaches this point, it may be necessary to completely remove the tooth and replace it with a dental bridge to avoid further health concerns.

How long can you go without a filling?

Is it Serious? Most of the time, a lost filling is not considered a dental emergency. However, if you are experiencing pain and sensitivity around the affected tooth, it's not something you should ignore. Our recommendation is that you wait no longer than 3 days to see our dentists.

How long can a rotten tooth stay in your mouth?

A dead tooth can stay in your mouth for up to several days or months; however, keeping a dead tooth may lead to problems with your jaw and also result in the spreading of decay and bacteria to other teeth. Most dentists will recommend having the dead tooth extracted and replaced with a denture, bridge, or implant.

Can a rotten tooth cause headaches?

What many don't realize is that a bad cavity can cause additional problems and become a pretty big deal if left untreated, including recurring headaches. When a tooth gets inflamed, the nerve endings may cause the pain from the tooth to spread to other areas of the head.

Can tooth infection affect blood pressure?

Periodontal disease — a condition marked by gum infection, gum inflammation and tooth damage — appears to worsen blood pressure and interferes with hypertension treatment.

Can a tooth infection cause respiratory problems?

Pulmonary actinomycosis is caused by certain bacteria normally found in the mouth and gastrointestinal tract. The bacteria often do not cause harm. But poor dental hygiene and tooth abscess can increase your risk for lung infections caused by these bacteria.

Which teeth are connected to the eyes?

Eyeteeth are the canines in the upper jaw that are right below the eye sockets. Occasionally, these teeth do not erupt through the gum properly and instead become impacted.

What are the signs of a brain infection?

A cerebral abscess is an infection in your brain. It is a medical emergency that requires treatment right away. Symptoms can include headache, fever, changes in consciousness, confusion, neck stiffness, vomiting, seizures, weakness, trouble moving, and changes in vision.

What is dental sepsis?

Abstract. Dental sepsis or periapical abscess formation constitutes a large percentage of dental conditions that afflict horses. Dental sepsis occurs when the pulp chamber of the tooth is exposed to the oral cavity or external environment, allowing bacterial localization with resulting infection.