Can a Toothache Kill You?

If you are experiencing a toothache you might want to head to your local dentist immediately. Tooth abscess can develop if you leave the tooth untreated. A tooth abscess can spread and is very dangerous. If your tooth hurts then you might have an abscess which is an infection within your tooth or gum. If you have an abscessed tooth and leave it untreated you can develop many complications such as :

Spread of infection:
The infection can spread to your ears, throat or brain
If it spreads to your brain you will develop a brain abscess which can kill you

Sinusitis:
An infection behind the nose and eyes

Loss of tooth:
The tooth will have to be pulled due to the infection

Signs of severe tooth abscess are swelling of the face called Cellulite, this will prevent you from breathing which leads to death.This is a common occurrence for many Americans, especially those without dental insurance. If you have a tooth abscess and have no insurance there might be some other options.

You can also check out www.worlddental.org a dental magazine for the top 7 abscessed tooth dangers.

You can go to a dental school where they perform live procedures for the students for free. This allows them to learn hands on. You can also call a dentist or go in person and explain to them that you are in a lot of pain and you need some medication and they might be able to prescribe you an antibiotic over the phone for your infection which will help with the swelling. I know this for a fact because I myself was prescribed an antibiotic without seeing the dentist. There is also www.Carecredit.com which you can apply for and it will cover the cost and you will need to pay a monthly amount. This is very helpful if you are able to pay monthly payments.

Please be aware of the risks of having a tooth abscess and leaving it untreated, it might not seem like a big issue but you must know it can be life threatening.

A 12 year old Maryland boy died after having a brain infection due to his dental problems, you can read his story at here ABC.com