Posts Tagged ‘infected tooth’

Can an infection in a tooth spread?

Wednesday, May 15th, 2013

I have a question about a recent treatment done for my daughter. She has two unilateral salivary gland infections. Both have occurred in the last six months. So I am wondering if it is possible for the packing from a root canal treatment to leak and infect these glands? We have had some additional x-rays done, but nothing showed up to be abnormal. We are stumped as to what is causing this reoccurring infection and can’t help but wonder if it’s due to the two root canals and crowns she has done near the gland in her lower jaw.

- Les in Colorado

Les,

That is an interesting question and it is understandable that you are questioning the root canal treatment process. It isn’t out of the realm of possibilities that a tooth infection could spread into the salivary gland. That said, the tooth would have had to be infected. The thing is that the tooth with the root canal treatment should not be infected if it successfully healed. This would have shown up on the dental x-ray.

Therefore, the answer to your question is no. It doesn’t sound like there is any correlation between your daughter’s salivary gland infection and her recent root canal treatments. Since the root canal did not fail, it is not possible that the infection spread.

Best of luck. Hopefully this information is helpful as you try to further pinpoint the cause.

This post is sponsored by Cleveland dentist Hylan Dental Care.

Related link: pediatric dentist, emergency dentist

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Symptoms of a dental abscess

Wednesday, April 24th, 2013

I think I may have a dental abscess. The tooth and gum have pain only when I put pressure on the tooth or press on the gum above the tooth. Is this the start of an abscess?

Thanks, Dan in Arizona

Dear Dan,

The best way to determine if you actually have an abscess forming is to have dental x-rays taken of the area. A true abscess will show up on an x-ray and your dentist will be able to properly recommend treatment for the tooth. Some abscesses start out with being pressure sensitive either by the touch of your finger or while chewing foods. As the infection progresses it becomes sensitive to temperature, more to hot then cold, however can be both. Many people complain of a dull ache throughout the day or an aching tooth that wakes them up in the middle of the night. Dental abscesses can irritate the gum causing swelling and redness. You should contact your dentist right away before you it turns into a dental emergency situation.

Sometimes patients don’t realize they have an infected tooth because the tooth infection is draining out into the mouth, eliminating many symptoms. If this is the case, a pimple-like formation will develop on the gum above or below the tooth. Even if the infection is draining in the mouth it would still have to be treated. An infected tooth left untreated over time can cause nausea, vomiting, loss of the tooth, and sometimes death.

If you have an infection your dentist will most likely put you on antibiotics to clear up the infection. Teeth become infected because the nerve in the tooth is dying. When this happens a root canal and dental crown are recommended to preserve the tooth. If patients opt out of root canal treatment the only other option would be to extract the tooth to alleviate further symptoms. Replacement options for missing one tooth include a dental implant or a dental bridge.

This post is sponsored by Cleveland dentist Hylan Dental Care.

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Help, I need to get rid of this toothache!

Friday, January 4th, 2013

My tooth is causing me so much pain. For the past few days the pain has been so terrible that it has made me vomit. It’s keeping me up at night too. The best way I can describe it is that it seems to radiate from my tooth, along my cheek, and over to my ear. I called the dentist but they can’t get me in for several weeks. Do you have any advice?

- Paul in Arizona

Paul,

Sorry to hear you are in so much pain. You shouldn’t have to suffer. There are many emergency dentists out there that can help you. So if your dentist can’t see you right away, you may want to call around. Many dentists build their practice around being available for emergencies and often can get you in the same day you call.

A toothache is often an indicator of a more serious problem. It could be a tooth infection, in which case you will need to have a root canal treatment. The sooner you get into the dentist, increases that chances that your tooth can be saved. Most dentists will do whatever they can to save a tooth so it does not need to be extracted.

If it is passed the point of saving, a dental implant is the best solution to replace a missing tooth. It not only looks and feels like your natural tooth, it functions just like it.

So don’t delay! Get into a dentist as soon as possible so you don’t have to deal with the agonizing pain any longer.

This post is sponsored by Cleveland dentist Hylan Dental Care.

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Is it okay to put off a root canal?

Wednesday, November 7th, 2012

Hello,

I am just trying to find out more information about a root canal treatment. Do you know how long I can wait to have this done?
- Paulette in Nebraska

Paulette,

It is difficult to answer your question without having seen your tooth. If it is causing you pain, you probably need to get it taken care of immediately. Even if the pain has subsided or gone away it does not mean that the infection has been taken care of. There are many emergency dentists that will get you in right away. And if you are at all scared or anxious, many dentists also offer sedation dentistry.

If you are dealing with an abscess or what looks kind of like a pimple near your tooth root, than you also need to get in right away. This means the infection is still active and a root canal treatment needs to be done.

If the tooth isn’t causing you any pain and hasn’t for a fair amount of time than you may be able to put it off for awhile. Sometimes patients get what is called an arrested infection that affects the body, yet doesn’t seem to cause much in the way of a toothache. For example, many years may pass without a patient being aware of the cause of the infection. And when the  root canal treatment iss finally done, it can improve the overall health of the patient.. You just don’t want to mess around with any kind of infection. What happens in the tooth is that the infection can slowly decay the tooth and it may not be salvageable or it very well could spread to other areas of the body.

This post is sponsored by Cleveland dentist Hylan Dental Care.

 

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Do I have a gum infection?

Saturday, March 10th, 2012

I have a bump on the inside of my mouth below my gums and it look like it has white puss in it what could it be?

Thanks, Chris

Dear Chris,

It sounds like you may have an abscessed tooth. In dental terms a pimple like bump below the gum area that has puss excreting from it is called a fistula. Most of the times people have no idea their tooth is infected because the infection is draining in the mouth and there is little or no pain coming from the tooth. Most teeth that get infected have pain upon chewing, ache on their own, or are sensitive to temperature because the infection stays at the base of the root of the tooth and not draining into the mouth which causes a toothache. If the tooth is truly infected, antibiotics will be prescribed and it will require a root canal and dental crown. We advise you to consult with your dentist to see if your tooth is indeed infected or if it’s some other condition.

This post is sponsored by Cleveland Implant Dentist Hylan Dental Care

 

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Bad tooth-what are the symptoms of an infection getting in the bloodstream?

Tuesday, February 28th, 2012

I have a very bad tooth on the top right of my mouth that needs to be extracted which I have put off for over a year now. The tooth is broken to the gum and is rotted. I am fighting off a cold that I caught from my son and I am afraid that the infection from my tooth has gotten into my blood. I am having pain all down the right side of my neck and up into my head. I am really scared that it could be serious. I don’t have dental insurance but I need this tooth out now. Does anyone know what the symptoms would be if the infection has spread to my bloodstream and what I can do to prevent it from killing me before I can get this tooth extracted?

Thanks, Carol

Dear Carol,

An infected tooth with an abscess left untreated can drain into the nearby tissues of the infected area causing some facial swelling.  In some cases the lymph glands can swell and even make you feel like your experiencing a headache because pain can transfer from the infected area. Pain is fairly common on the side of the face where an infected tooth is located.

A severe tooth infection left untreated can lead to sepsis, in other words blood poisoning, which is an all over body inflammatory response due to an infection. Sepsis has been known to happen from an infected tooth however not too common. This is a serious condition which requires hospitalization and can be deadly. Some early signs of sepsis are flu like symptoms, dehydration, a racing heart rate, and shallow breathing however when it becomes severe one experiences difficulty swallowing, infrequent urination, and mood swings.

Due to the fact that this tooth has been left untreated along with the symptoms your experiencing we highly recommend you see a dentist who will most likely prescribe an antibiotic to decrease the infection. Ask the dental office about financial options they may offer and see if they are willing to work with you on making payments.

This post is sponsored by Cleveland Implant Dentist Hylan Dental Care

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How long should I wait for an extraction to heal before having an implant?

Monday, February 20th, 2012

What is the normal time to wait after a tooth with an infected root canal is extracted before the implant can be placed? It never felt right, and a year later the tooth had to be extracted, and they want to put in a dental implant. So in my mind this infection was probably developing the entire year. Now that an oral surgeon has removed the tooth what is my reassurance that there isn’t infection harboring in the bone? How much time should be given to new bone growth and how will the infection be diagnosed as no longer a problem before the implant is placed. I appreciate information that you can provide.
- Loretta

Loretta,
When a tooth becomes infected, the tissue inside it dies. Then, since there is a small opening in the tooth at the apex of the root, infected matter continues to spill out into the bone around the end of the tooth. Your body fights the infection in the bone, but there is no way to get antibodies or white blood cells into the tooth to actually eliminate the infection, because that tissue is dead and there are no longer any blood vessels in it.

When the tooth is extracted, two important things happen. First, the source of the infection is eliminated, enabling your body defenses to quickly wipe out the remnants of the infection in the bone. Second, the missing tooth leaves a wide drainage opening into the bone to the heart of the infection. Because of this, there is rarely any problem with residual infection after a simple extraction.

Now in the case of an infected and impacted wisdom tooth, the infection is not inside the tooth and spilling out into the bone, but is in the space between the tooth and the gum. Additionally, the surgery to remove an impacted wisdom tooth requires cutting into the tissue and the bone, which can allow the infection to spread into that surgical area. Then the wound is usually sutured closed. For these reasons, an infection after the removal of an impacted wisdom tooth is not rare, and many dentists routinely prescribe antibiotics during the healing period to help prevent infection.

This blog is sponsored by Cleveland implant dentist Dr. Brad Hylan.

Click here to read reviews of Clear Choice Dental Implants Centers.

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A question about healing after an extraction

Monday, August 16th, 2010

How can you tell if the gumline is infected after a tooth extraction?
- Paul from Iowa

Paul,
If a tooth is infected and then it is extracted, your body almost always heals the infection by itself within a few days. The reason is that the source of the infection is gone, and your functioning antibodies and white blood cells can ordinarily take care of the infection. Because you have an open socket, the infection that before was trapped and festering now has easy drainage. An exception would be when a tooth is impacted and the gum has to be incised and maybe some bone removed to take it out.

So to answer your question, the gum may well be infected after an extraction, but it may not matter. Warning signs of trouble of an infection that isn’t healing would be post-operative pain that increases from one day to the next, swelling that keeps increasing after the second day, or pus draining from the area of the extraction. If you have any of these symptoms, you should call your dentist.

Links: read more about tooth extractions.

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