What would happen if you left a dental abcess--under a tooth down by the root--untreated? Would you die?

Answer 1

Technically, you can die of just about anything. Dental abscesses can kill you. So can rides in cars. That doesn't mean they will.

I just had this happen to me these past 2 weeks. First of all I am in the process of having my teeth removed, and I have a prescription filled for antibiotics here, so this was considered a safe thing to do. I don't recommend doing this, but if you are REALLY curious, have a doctor on call, are in otherwise excellent health, and have nothing to lose, this is what happens...

I developed a dental abscess under my wisdom tooth. I left it alone. It followed the usual pattern of soreness, then "my jaw is broken" soreness, then a lot of pressure under the tooth like the rown was going to blow off, then throbbing, then resolution. It never swelled and I never got a fever. A few days after the soreness went away, it drained in a spot between the tooth and gum. Like a previous answerer said, it reinfected and redrained several times over the next few weeks. Each time it reinfected, I would feel the slight soreness, then I would feel slight popping, and hear a crackling noise. That was escaping gas from the bacteria.

Had it pulled yesterday. The dead animal smell was there for the first 6 hours. Then it went away with most of the bleeding. I'm on antibiotics so things are well under control. No pain, no swelling.

You can also develop a parulis, or gumboil, if you leave an abscess for too long. This is when it drains through your gum. A small swelling shows up on your gum, like a zit. Then it pops. You will taste a gross taste, and you will smell something like a dead animal on your breath. If that doesn't gross you out enough to at least do a saltwater gargle, then you have a stronger stomach then I do.

Really, once you feel that jaw-breaking soreness, or if you start to run a fever and have any kind of big swelling in your jaw, under or alongside your nose, or cheek, get to a dentist or oral surgeon asap, within 12 hours for antibiotics, an extraction, or a root canal. Even the mall dental clinics can schedule you in for xrays and a RX, even if they can't do a root canal on you that day. Don't risk death from your teeth. It sucks.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

What most people don't understand is your teeth are in direct contact with your other organs, you have all your nerve endings in your tooth which lead out to your arteries and nerves, these particular nerves are a direct passage to your bain and other important organs, an abcess is a very dangerous thing to have in the first place, you really should have it treated, because if you don't it iwll lead to much more severe problems, an abcess infection will travel through your nerves and your blood and spread to your other organs so yes its very possible to create eye problems if left long enough, not only that but right now that tooth will only need ot be extracted if you ge tit done now, the longer you wait the infection will spread and you will end up having to get an alveolectomy which is where part of your jaw bone has to be taken out and replaced with synthetic bone because of the infection, that cna be very costly and painful so i suggest you get the abcess taken care of right away

Answer 4

an abcess is an infection. any infection can kill you if left untreated. a dentist will not pull an abcessed tooth until the infection has been treated with antibiotics because pulling the tooth causes bleeding and allows the infection to move into your blood stream and risks serious infections in other parts of your body and even death.

so if you have an abcess go to the dentist to have it confrimed that it is an abcess then go to the gp for a prescription for a course of antibiotics. then once the infection is clear you can go and get your dentist to pull the tooth.

best of luck.

Answer 5

Abscess Under Tooth

Answer 6

most likely no, but it's definitely possible. the most probably outcome would be bone loss surrounding the tooth and then it would just get loose and you'd be able to remove it yourself. it would be a multiple year long process and it would not be pleasant. there would be periodic episodes of acute infection and swelling. the smell and taste of the puss coming out of the gums would be pretty nasty to you and the people around you.

or you could just go to the dentist.

Answer 7

I actually know of someone who died from an un-treated abcess. The infection can get into your bloodstream ans cause you to become septic which can be deadly.

Answer 8

Yes...my sister died of a secondary infection caused by untreated dental infection.

Answer 9

Yes, the infection can spread to your blood.
But you'd have plenty of warning, what with your teeth and gums rotting.

Answer 10

Not immediately, I don't think... It would certainly hurt like hell and smell even worse :)