Symptoms of Tooth Infection Spreading to Your Body
Symptoms of tooth infection spreading to your body – Though it sounds quite regular and normal, a toothache can become very nasty at times. If you have a toothache that has not been treated, it can progress to something serious like an infection. A tooth infection needs to be attended to as soon as possible so that it cannot spread to the rest of your body.
What Happens When You Have Tooth Decay?
A dental cavity or tooth decay occurs when the decay-causing bacteria feed on the food debris present within your mouth and release acid. The acid breaks down the teeth causing a cavity in your tooth.
What Happens When You Have a Tooth Infection?
A decayed tooth should be treated in its early stage itself. When you go to a dentist, he will fill your cavity. What if you do not show up in a dental office thinking that the cavity is no big deal? There are chances for the decay to spread to the deeper layers of the tooth where the blood vessels and nerve fibers reside. This is when a regular filling fails to serve the purpose. Your dentist will recommend a root canal treatment in which the canal running in the root of your teeth is cleaned and filled.
What are the Symptoms of Tooth Infection Spreading to the Rest of Your Body?
In some cases, you may experience the warning signs only once the decay-causing germs progress from the tooth to
the bone around the tooth root. You can see a small ball like swelling above the infected tooth on your gums. This swelling would be filled with pus indicating tooth infection. Here are a few symptoms of tooth infection-
- Throbbing pain on the infected tooth
- Dull aching pain around the ear or neck almost on the same side of the infected tooth
- Worsening of pain when you go to bed
- Swelling on your cheeks
- Bad breath
- Feeling hot and cold foods or drinks extremely sensitive
- A displeasing taste in the mouth.
When the tooth infection spreads to the rest of our body, here is what you can experience-
- Fever– When you have a fever you will experience chills, hot flushes with intermediate episodes of sweating.
- Headache– It makes you feel unwell and is often accompanied with fatigue and dizziness.
- Swelling on the face– It can cause difficulty in opening your mouth. In some cases, you may not be able to open the eye on the affected side. You may find it hard to breathe. You may even feel the swollen area warmer when compared to the surrounding area.
- Dehydration– One of the classic signs of understanding dehydration is reduced frequency of urination or dark yellow urine. One can experience confusion in a state of dehydration.
- Increased heart rate– You may feel a rapid pulse and even an increase in your breathing rate, from 12 to 16 breaths per minute to 25 breaths/minute.
- Stomach upset– There can be vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea in some individuals.
The above-mentioned symptoms should not be taken lightly as infection can spreading to your body will need a considerable time to be bright under control. Hence, when you see these symptoms you should report to your dentist at the earliest. Meanwhile, you can take a couple of the following measures to find some relief in your situation-
- Take over the counter painkillers like ibuprofen.
- Try not to chew on the affected side as it may aggravate the problem
- Have only soft foods that are not very hot or extremely cold.
The Final Note
Tooth infection is a serious matter of concern and should be attended to at the earliest. It can become a cause of great pain and anxiety and can even disrupt your day-to-day activities. If the tooth infection spreads to the rest of the body you will notice signs like fever, headache, an increase in your heart rate, dehydration and even stomach pain. You can prevent it from happening if you maintain good oral hygiene by brushing and flossing your teeth regularly, reducing the intake of sugar, switching to a balanced diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables and visiting your dentist for routine oral checkups.
Leave a Reply