When Can a Tooth Infection Kill You?
When Can a Tooth Infection Kill You?
If left untreated, it’s possible for a tooth infection to lead to serious, life-threatening complications. Find out the symptoms to watch for, and when to seek emergency care.
In London during the 1600s, dental infections were listedTrusted Source as the fifth or sixth leading cause of death. Even up until 1908, dental infections still ended in death between 10 to 40 percent of the time.
Due to advances in medicine and dental hygiene, death from a tooth infection is now extremely rare. However, it’s still important to seek prompt care if you suspect that you have an infected tooth.
When left untreated, a tooth infection can spread to other areas of the body, leading to serious, potentially life-threatening complications, including:
sepsis: a severe reaction by the body in response to the infection Ludwig’s angina: a serious bacterial infection that affects the floor of the mouth, underneath the tongue necrotizing fasciitis: a severe infection that leads to soft tissue death in the body mediastinitis: an inflammation of the mediastinum, which is a space located between your lungs endocarditis: an inflammation of your heart’s inner lining, called the endocardium cavernous sinus thrombosis: a dangerous blood clot of the sinuses, just under the brain and behind the eyes osteomyelitis: a bone tissue infection brain abscess: a collection of pus that can form in the brain