To summarize: It can potentially take several months for a dental abscess to develop. Once an abscess has formed, noticeable pain and swelling around the affected tooth usually occur. If left untreated, it may take a few more weeks or months for the infection to spread to other tissues and cause complications.
Early stages of tooth abscess may not feel any pain or swelling at first. As soon as your body sends the dead white blood cells to the infected area, you may start to experience any of the following symptoms: Pain around your ear, jaw, or neck. Pain when chewing, biting, or when you lie down.
When an infection occurs, bacteria can move out of the tooth to the bone or tissue below, forming a dental abscess. A dental infection can lead to sepsis. Sepsis is the body's life-threatening response to infection.
In conclusion, the maximum period that an untreated tooth abscess can sustain is 12 months or more. But, such longevity is associated with dangerous complications such as sepsis or even death. Schedule your appointment with a dentist today and get the treatment on time!
How quickly does a tooth abscess progress? Abscesses can develop relatively quickly - as little as one or two days after the first signs of infection. They may progress undetected and therefore untreated, and develop for months or even years.
See your dentist right away if you have any signs or symptoms of a tooth abscess. If you have difficulty swallowing, breathing, or fever and swelling in your face and you can't reach the dentist, go straight to an urgent care center or emergency room. Your dentist may put you on antibiotics to treat the infection.
Antibiotics alone won't treat sepsis; you also need fluids. The body needs extra fluids to help keep the blood pressure from dropping dangerously low, causing shock.
Signs of an infection spreading
A person who has a suspected tooth infection and develops any of these symptoms should seek immediate medical attention: a painful tongue and mouth. swelling of the face, cheeks, or neck. difficulty swallowing.
Symptoms of a Tooth Infection Spreading to the Body
Here are the signs of a tooth infection spreading to the rest of your body: Feeling generally sick. Extreme sensitivity to cold or hot food and drink. Severe toothache from the tooth outward.
If the infection has spread or you have a generalized infection, you may develop other signs and symptoms, such as fever, fatigue, pain, etc. Sometimes however, you may have an infection and not know it, and not have any symptoms.
A bone infection after tooth extraction is a dangerous ailment. If not treated, a patient can go into sepsis. Sepsis is an infection caused by anything (virus, bacterial, fungal) that enters the bloodstream and can impair flow to the vital organs in your system.
Because toothaches are caused by infection, one that is not treated can eventually lead to sepsis. The infection bacteria which lives in the tooth may travel through the bloodstream, and when the bacteria count is high enough, the body will quickly respond — possibly leading to septic shock or death.
brushing the teeth twice a day using a toothpaste that contains fluoride. avoiding rinsing the mouth or drinking anything immediately after brushing the teeth. using floss or interdental brushes at least once a day. limiting the intake of sugary foods and drinks.
Once the cultures have identified the microorganisms responsible for the infection, antibiotics that work the best against those organisms will be used. For out-patients with sepsis, oral antibiotics may sometimes be used, but hospitalized patients will be treated with intravenous antibiotics.
The majority of broad-spectrum agents administered for sepsis have activity against Gram-positive organisms such as methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, or MSSA, and Streptococcal species. This includes the antibiotics piperacillin/tazobactam, ceftriaxone, cefepime, meropenem, and imipenem/cilastatin.
"When an infection reaches a certain point, this can happen in a matter of hours." Sepsis usually starts out as an infection in just one part of the body, such as a skin wound or a urinary tract infection, Tracey says.
High heart rate or weak pulse. Fever, shivering, or feeling very cold. Confusion or disorientation. Shortness of breath.
Signs and symptoms of septic shock (septicemia)
Sepsis can advance very quickly to severe sepsis and septic shock. As it transitions, it becomes more life threatening. Some severe sepsis and septic shock symptoms can overlap, like severe difficulty breathing, acute confusion, and bluish skin.
Leaving an infection to spread to your facial bones may eventually necessitate surgical removal to stop it. Even in minor cases, a tooth infection can cause the bone structures of your jaw to weaken, making it hard to support your teeth.
Tooth abscesses don't form overnight—there are multiple stages to formation, starting with enamel erosion and progressing to dentin decay, pulp decay, and finally abscess formation.
All dentists are qualified to perform emergency tooth extractions if and when necessary. Tooth extractions are a relatively common oral surgical procedure and may be necessary if your tooth is severely damaged or infected.