Every Dentist Needs Your Help Keeping Your Teeth Healthy

If recognized and treated promptly, a dental abscess will heal nicely. While symptoms of an abscess may include throbbing tooth pain, inflamed gum tissue, and a bad taste when biting down, it may not have any symptoms at all.

This is typically the result of nerve damage that can be sustained as a result of an untreated dental infection. If allowed to progress, your dental abscess may lead to sepsis, a dangerous systemic blood infection. If you notice any of the aforementioned symptoms, seek emergency dental services right away. In the meantime, here are some symptoms of sepsis that you should know about, especially if you are having problems with your teeth:

Unexplained Fever

If you develop a fever in the absence of other symptoms such as a runny nose, cough, sneezing, or diarrhea, you may have a smoldering dental abscess that has progressed to sepsis. Abscessed teeth are often associated with purulent pulp infections, which means that the middle of your tooth contains pus.

If the microorganism responsible for pus formation is not eradicated, sepsis may soon develop. Blood infections such as sepsis typically require hospitalization because treatment usually includes the administration of intravenous antibiotics, bed rest, and monitoring of the cardiovascular system, kidneys, lung function, and liver function. 

Chest Pain

Another symptom of sepsis related to a dental abscess may be chest pain. If dental abscesses progress, the bacteria may travel to your heart valves, causing chest pain, palpitations, and shortness of breath. If you have had a previous dental abscess or a history of mitral valve or other cardiovascular disease, your dentist may recommend that you take a preventive course of antibiotics before undergoing any type of dental work.

This is applicable to even minor procedures such as professional cleanings and examinations with dental instruments. At the first sign of chest pain, regardless of whether you have a tooth infection or not, seek emergency medication attention to rule out life-threatening heart problems. In addition to dental abscesses, other bacterial infections that can cause cardiovascular problems include strep throat and sinus infections.

If you believe you have an abscessed tooth, seek emergency dental services as soon as possible. When a dental abscess is recognized and treated early on in its progression, you will be less likely to experience serious secondary infections such as sepsis and infections of the cardiovascular system. Also, when you seek early treatment, your dentist may be able to save your tooth, however, if treatment is delayed, your only option may be extraction.