A dentist does much more than just clean your
teeth and give you a pretty smile, although they certainly do this as well.
They are here to improve your oral health. This is why avoiding the dentist
often times leads to catastrophic results, like an abscessed tooth. An abscess
is a pocket of pus that forms around the root of an infected tooth, causing a
lot of swelling and pain. Many people are hesitant to treat a dental abscess
because of perceived financial limitations or just plain dental anxiety. Considering
the possible outcomes of ignoring a dental abscess, however, a trip to the emergency dentist in Lutz, FL is
well worth the time and money. Consider what letting an abscess go can lead to:
Infection
of the surrounding bone: You never want to let an
infection spread to the bone. Your facial bones, particularly the maxilla and
mandible, do not tolerate the long-term presence of infection very well. If the
tooth infection spreads into these bones, surgical removal of the bone may be
required in order to arrest further spread. Stop and think about that for a
moment. Even in cases where these extreme measures are not necessary, the
infection can cause marked weakening of the bone structures, which makes it
more difficult for the jaw to support the teeth. This leads to the following
problem.
Tooth loss: When the abscess
persists without treatment, the tooth itself as well as the bones holding it
into your body weaken. What happens next? Your teeth fall out! In these cases,
tooth replacement treatments such as dental implants will be necessary to
restore oral function, but even this cannot be done unless the infection is
finally gone and has left enough bone integrity to support an implant. It
doesn’t need to be this way, though. If an abscessed tooth is diagnosed and
treated early, root canal therapy and a crown can often save the tooth.
Infection in oral soft tissues and
sinuses: Since the roots of several upper teeth extend into the sinus area,
an abscess in one of these teeth can lead to a painful sinus infection. In
fact, this is often the first symptom people pay attention to and realize
something is wrong. Additionally, the soft tissues of the mouth and surrounding
areas are susceptible to the spread of infection, which can cause a number of
complications that you certainly want to avoid.
Septicemia: Septicemia is when the
entire bloodstream becomes infected. The body’s natural response to an
infection is to increase antibodies in the area by sending extra blood. When
Septicemia occurs due to a dental abscess, a pocket of infection ruptures,
spills into this blood, and begins to circulate throughout the body. This is to
be taken seriously, because it is a life-threatening condition that often requires
long-term hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics.
Death:
Of course, the worst
possible danger of failing to treat a dental abscess is death. Infection from a
dental abscess can enter the brain in a number of ways, which is then extremely
dangerous and usually requires hospitalization for treatment. Widespread
infection in the body or brain can become so severe that no amount of
antibiotics is able to control it. Never, ever let any minor symptoms develop
so far as to risk your life!
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