If you’ve had a persistent toothache and haven’t seen your dentist, it’s likely because you don’t consider it to be a dental emergency. After all, the low-grade ache is frustrating but doesn’t seem to be dangerous. However, it’s important to remember that when it comes to your teeth, no pain is normal. The throbbing you’ve experienced could be a sign of serious underlying issues, and ignoring them can harm more than just your smile. In fact, sometimes, the consequences of leaving a toothache untreated can be life-threatening.
Continue reading to learn why it’s so important that you don’t underestimate the seriousness of a toothache and seek immediate dental care.
What Caused My Toothache?
There are several potential reasons your pearly white could be hurting, such as:
- Cavities.
- Gum disease.
- Damage like a chip, crack, or fracture.
- Bruxism, or teeth grinding.
- A loose or injured restoration (like a filling or dental crown).
One of the most common culprits, though, is an infected tooth. Your mouth is full of germs that can penetrate through your enamel and into the soft nerves and tissues, or pulp, inside your pearly whites. This often results in an abscess, which is a painful pocket of infection that builds up around it.
Can An Infected Tooth Be Deadly?
Unfortunately, not addressing your toothache can have lethal results. In fact, in London during the 1600s, this was the fifth or sixth leading cause of death. Although dental technology and techniques have come a long way, dental infections still resulted in death between 10% and 40% of the time until 1908. Thankfully, this is less common in our current world, today, but it’s still possible.
How Does a Tooth Infection Harm My Health?
There are many possible reasons for your toothache, so it’s important to see your dentist so they can determine the underlying issue and treat it as soon as possible. Otherwise, you could put both your dental well-being and overall health at risk. If you don’t, you could experience a potentially life-threatening complication such as:
- Sepsis. The infection can enter your bloodstream and travel throughout your body, triggering an immune response that can lead to organ failure or death.
- Ludwig’s Angina. This is a serious bacterial infection that impacts the floor of your mouth under your tongue. It can cause swelling that makes it difficult to breathe.
- Mediastinitis. This is an inflammation in the space between your lungs and spine that contains your heart and other important organs and nerves.
- Endocarditis. Swelling in the heart’s inner lining, or endocardium.
The best way to prevent these types of problems is to contact your dentist immediately if you have a toothache!
About the Author
Dr. Alison K. Garrad provides a full range of high-quality dental services to meet all your needs under one roof. She attended Stanford University for her undergraduate degree and then graduated from the Texas A&M College of Dentistry in the top 5% of her class. Today, she continues to hone her skills through her involvement in several professional organizations, including the Academy of General Dentistry and the Spear Study Club. She combines a compassionate approach with state-of-the-art technology to provide accurate, long-lasting treatments. Plus, she can schedule you for a same-day visit if you have a toothache or other dental emergency. You’re welcome to request an appointment on the website or by calling (903) 455-6075.
