Death from a Tooth Infection

I often come across patients who want to leave a tooth infection and try to let it heal on it’s own. It can’t. Sometimes I am successful in convincing them of it is importance. Other times, I am not. I’m hoping to help more people to understand this, especially because some people never go to a dentist and may not have someone to warn them.

There are only two ways to deal with a tooth infection because it requires going in there and physically removing the infected pulp. Antibiotics can only temporarily hold it at bay. Once they’re done, the infection will flare back up. Tooth infections are are dental emergencies.

The first option is a root canal treatment. This is the ideal solution because it allows you to save your tooth. Natural tooth structure is always best. If that isn’t possible, the second option is a tooth extraction.

When a tooth is extracted, it will be important to replace it.  If you don’t, the adjacent teeth will shift or tip into the open area. This throws off your bite and could lead to migraines and painful TMJ Disorder.

What Happens When You Don’t Treat a Tooth Infection

Sadly, there are between six to ten people who die every year just in the United States from untreated tooth infections. When I was double checking this statistic to make sure there haven’t been any changes, I came across this tragic story of one man who died from a tooth infection, while planning to get treatment.

This was first reported by the Sacramento Bee, but other outlets have picked it up since then. A twenty-six year old long haul truck driver and father of two left for a haul from California to New York. His tooth had just started hurting. By the time he got to Oklahoma, it was hurting enough that he stopped and went to see a dentist. This dentist gave him some antibiotics to tide him over.

Once the antibiotics ran out, the infection flared up with a vengeance. His cheek had even swollen. He made his delivery but didn’t feel well enough to make the drive home. He called his brother for help getting home. By the time they reached Utah, he was struggling to breathe. They stopped at a hospital in Utah, which then med-flighted him to a bigger facility in Salt Lake City.

The infection had spread to his blood and lungs. What started as a simple toothache, was now a life threatening emergency. They gave him stronger antibiotics and put him on dialysis. It didn’t help. His wife was able to fly in just before he died.

I say this in hopes of avoiding these type of tragedies.

This blog is brought to you by a compassionate dentist in Nashville Dr. David Wickness.