Tooth infections always start with a toothache. If you leave the sore and throbbing tooth untreated, it soon becomes infected. If the condition isn’t treated, it spreads to other parts body. Therefore whenever you have a toothache, you must have the tooth examined by the dentist in Munster to determine whether it is infected and have it treated promptly to prevent complications later.
Symptoms of Tooth Infection
Symptoms of an infected tooth can include various indicators such as:
- Throbbing tooth pain.
- Throbbing pain in the jaw bone, ear, or neck on the same side of the face as the tooth pain.
- Pain worsens when lying down.
- Sensitivity to pressure besides hot or cold foods and beverages.
- Swelling in the cheeks, tender or swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
- Fever, bad breath, and an unpleasant taste in the mouth.
What to Do If You Suspect You Have an Infection?
Infections in the mouth are bacterial, but not all are harmful. Unfortunately, when they cause infections, they also cause disease. In addition, some conditions can assume severe proportions making it necessary to consult with your doctor if you have a bacterial infection.
If you have an untreated tooth infection and haven’t visited your dentist, the condition could spread anywhere in your body, assuming life-threatening proportions. Some signs and symptoms indicate that the tooth infection has spread fever, dizziness, and fatigue. You might also experience swelling in the mouth, making it challenging for you to open it, impeding swallowing and breathing, making you dehydrated, and increasing your heart rate. You might also experience stomach pain with vomiting and diarrhea.
You must never ignore the signs of tooth infection but contact the dentist if you have a high fever and get prompt medical attention if the fever is accompanied by chest pain, difficulty breathing, mental confusion, a typical sensitivity to light, seizures, or convulsions, unexplained skin rashes, assistant vomiting, and discomfort when urinating.
How Does Your Tooth Become Infected?
Your teeth become infected when you allow bacteria to get into chips, cracks, or a cavity. The risk factors for tooth infections increase if you maintain poor dental hygiene by neglecting to brush your teeth two times per day or flossing, you have a high sugar diet eating sweets and drinking soda, and you are affected by dry mouth because of aging or as a side effect of medications.
When Must You See Your Dentist?
Not every toothache becomes a severe health concern. However, if you are confronting a toothache, getting it treated before it worsens is optimal. You must call your dentist for an urgent care appointment if your toothache lasts for over 24 hours and is accompanied by fever, swelling, trouble breathing, difficulty swallowing, red gums, and pain when chewing or biting. However, if you have a broken tooth or if a tooth falls out, contact your dentist for an appointment right away.
While waiting to see your dentist, you can find relief from over-the-counter pain relievers for comfort. However, you must avoid hot and cold foods and drinks, avoid chewing on the side of the painful tooth, and eat only soft and cool foods.
How to Prevent Tooth Infections?
If you don’t maintain excellent dental hygiene, you are at risk of tooth infections. You can prevent such problems by brushing your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and flossing your teeth at least once, regardless of the time. You help yourself by decreasing your sugar intake and eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables. You must avoid tobacco products and drink fluoridated water besides getting fluoride treatments as your dentist and the ADA recommend. You must also incorporate six-monthly dental exams and cleanings to enable your dentist to detect any problems in your mouth that might aggravate infections.
When left untreated, tooth infections can spread to other parts of your body, resulting in a potentially life-threatening illness. You might require treatments from different medical professionals to treat conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory disease, and cancer. Therefore soon as you notice the signs of tooth infections, contact your dentist for a same-day appointment whenever you develop a toothache accompanied by the other symptoms.
Family Dental Care — Munster recommends excellent preventive dental care to ensure no infections develop in your mouth. If you aren’t following preventive measures, kindly schedule an appointment with this practice to learn how to find freedom from tooth infections.