Infection of dead tooth?

Question

If a tooth dies and they need to go inside of the pulp to clean out the infection, how does the infection get into the surrounding tissues and jaw? Isnt the inside of your tooth sealed off from the jaw and gums?

Answer 1

No, the inside of the tooth is noursihed by blood vessels and has a nerve supply, so it is not sealed off from the surrounding tissues;

Answer 2

Once a tooth starts to die from trauma, or infection caused by decay, the bacteria spreads thru the pulp, which is the tooths blood supply that feeds it, keeping it vital. That blood comes thru the surrounding tissue and bone in the jaw, not to mention the rest of your body during circulation. If the infection is not treated it will cause the tooth to build up pus, (much like a pressure filled sack with no excape) at the apex (root) of the tooth. That sack is commonly refered to as a abscess. When the Dentist does a root canal procedure, he removes the nerve, cleans out the pulp chamber where the nerve/blood vessel was, giving the tooth an open canal to the outside, (or inside of your mouth) that allows the pus from the sack or abscess to drain. Sometimes the doctor will let the medication take care of that part if it's not too severe. The reason for the antibiotics is to kill the infection in the surrounding tissue, not the inside of the canal. By the time it's filed out, flushed with sterile irrigation and sealed, it's air tight all the way to the end keeping infection from coming back thru the apex. That's why when a root canal fails, it's usually because bacteria got in from the top of the tooth, the chewing or biting part of the tooth that is in your mouth, where bacteria runs rampant. So to answer your question, no the tooth isn't sealed off from the jaw and gums. All teeth have an opening at the root or apex for the blood supply, that's connected to tissue, bone and your jaw. It just doesn't have an opening to the outside world of your mouth until we get a cavity that gives it one. Sorry, sometimes I just get on a role! Hope I was of some help to you though. Good luck.

Answer 3

The Root of the tooth is not sealed form the rest of the jaw nor are the nerves. Infection will spread and can affect your sinuses and many other things

Answer 4

If the inside of your tooth is infected, like a cavity - its a hole in your tooth - its got nasty germs and grossness going down to the nerve, which is down in the root, aggravating it, then eventually killing it.

Each root has one nerve (im not a dentist, just a frequent patient)-the roots get their nutrition from the gums, taking in blood and calcium and things like that to build your teeth....therefore, in reverse, if the tooth is filled with bacterial infections, it will spread down into the gums, jaw...

My dad had a cut on his toe, on the bottom of his foot, it got infected-see, he didnt really know it was cut open a little, like from dry skin, more like a crack--he's got little feeling in that foot because he broke his leg years before and ever since, he'll stub his toe and not really feel it. Well..he ended up going to the hospital because of what started out as a cut on his toe! The infection spread up to past his knee, it actually killed parts of the muscle in his calf-they were going to amputate his leg, but instead just cut out the infection. Gross. This was a case of staph infection, pretty hardcore stuff...

Literally, from head to toe....in your body, everything is connected.

Next time you get a toothache, go to the dentist and have the preventitive work done-cavaties filled, so they wont get so bad. Good luck!

Answer 5

I don't know all the workings of dental problems, but my question is this. Why are they keeping a dead tooth in your mouth? Especially when it's causing an infection? I think your dentist wants to get more money out of you. Seriously. Check with another dentist!

Answer 6

Infection can spread through the tissue and in the bloodstream if not put in check. Please go to the dentist immediately!!

Answer 7

infection can go through tissue