If we suffer from gum disease or oral infections, the blood vessels are used to transport the pathogens to different parts of the body. This means that the longer the disease is present, the more likely it is for it to start affecting other organs, causing you to feel tired and worn out.
The gums are rich in blood vessels, and when gum disease is present, the blood vessels become a simple way to transport infections in different parts of the body. The longer that you have gum disease, the more likely it is that the infection can start to affect other organs and cause you to feel worn out and tired.
Fever, Chills, Bleeding Gums: Potential Periodontal Disease. As we mentioned when discussing dental abscesses, oral infections can present with flu-like symptoms. This holds true when you experience periodontal disease, also called gum disease.
Bacteria from your gums release toxins. Those toxins can travel in your bloodstream. The toxins can cause inflammation in your arteries, and can create a blockage there. This blockage increases the chance you might suffer a stroke or a heart attack.
Feeling Unwell and Fatigued
If you know you have a tooth infection and you begin just to feel lousy, and like you're coming down with something, you should see your dentist right away. Feeling unwell or just flat-out tired is an early red flag that shouldn't be ignored.
All in all, dental infections, like periodontal disease and severe tooth decay, are really no different than the flu or other systemic illnesses. In addition to feeling sick, they all generally lead to less available energy during your day.
The key to managing and living with periodontal disease is to ensure your teeth are kept clean and reduce gum irritation. Besides an increase in cleanings, there are also specialized cleaning methods used, depending on the extent of damage.
In its early stage, called gingivitis, the gums can become swollen and red, and they may bleed. In its more serious form, called periodontitis, the gums can pull away from the tooth, bone can be lost, and the teeth may loosen or even fall out.
With gum disease, you won't keep your teeth for long. In fact, unlike tooth decay which impacts your smile one tooth at a time, periodontitis can cause you to lose multiple, if not all, teeth at once. Gum disease starts small as a mild form called gingivitis.
And while most people understand the importance of maintaining healthy gums and teeth, many do not know that gum disease is a potentially life-threatening condition that can affect not only the mouth, but also the entire body.
For example, patients with conditions that affect the efficiency of the immune system, such as diabetes, HIV, Down syndrome, leukemia, etc., can make periodontal disease worse. Those who smoke, use tobacco products, are malnourished, and/or are highly stressed are also at an increased risk.
The progression of periodontal disease is slow but steady. It only takes four days for plaque to reach its maximum extent, so you'll be able to physically see signs of gingivitis on day 5. Advanced stages of this disease can be seen in as little as a few weeks if you have not tried to reverse the gingivitis.
Living with periodontal disease is a challenge because it causes aesthetic complications and severe bone loss in the mouth. Unlike other infections, periodontal diseases silently affect you, causing your gums to become inflamed and bleed. Periodontal disease is not a life-threatening condition.
As the loss of bone and gum tissue increases, teeth will begin to feel loose, and eventually result in tooth loss. It is important to treat periodontal disease, even if your symptoms are mild. Researchers have found links between gum disease and serious health problems.
But the condition may get even worse if left untreated. They may experience receding gums, loosening teeth, or tooth loss when it progresses into severe periodontal disease. If you wonder if you can live with this disease, the answer is yes.
If left untreated, gum disease - also known as periodontal disease - can result in substantial health issues and make individuals more susceptible to a range of conditions, including cancer of the kidney, pancreas and blood.
It's typically caused by poor brushing and flossing habits that allow plaque—a sticky film of bacteria—to build up on the teeth and harden. It starts with swollen, red, and bleeding gums. If left untreated, it can spread to the bones surrounding the gums, making it painful to chew.
Good prognosis: The prognosis is considered to be good when there is adequate amount of remaining bone support along with the periodontium, and the patient as well as the clinician has adequate possibilities to control etiologic factors and establish a maintainable dentition.
The overall prognosis requires a general consideration of bone levels and attachment levels to establish whether enough teeth can be saved either to provide a functional and aesthetic dentition or to serve as abutments for a useful prosthetic replacement of the missing teeth.
The prevalence of periodontal (gum) disease continues to be an important public health problem in the United States as 2 in 5 adults are affected by some form of this disease.
In dental infections, a CBC count with differential is not mandatory, but a large outpouring of immature granulocytes may indicate the severity of the infection. Blood cultures in patients who are toxic may help guide management if the course is prolonged.
It is rare for tooth infections to spread to other parts of the body. If left untreated, dental infections usually take weeks or months to spread. Below are medical conditions that an untreated tooth abscess may lead to: Osteomyelitis — an infection of the bone surrounding your infected tooth.