What Happens If You Ignore a Tooth Infection?

A tooth infection is more than just a painful toothache. Left untreated, a dental infection can worsen over time, leading to severe pain, swelling, tooth loss, and potentially serious health complications.

If you’re experiencing tooth pain, facial swelling, or signs of infection, seeking treatment early can help prevent more complex and costly problems down the road.

What Is a Tooth Infection?

A tooth infection, also known as a dental abscess, occurs when bacteria enter the inner portion of a tooth through decay, cracks, trauma, or advanced gum disease. As the infection progresses, pus can accumulate around the tooth and surrounding tissues.

Without treatment, the infection typically does not go away on its own.

Common Signs of a Tooth Infection

 

Symptoms may include:

• • Sensitivity to hot or cold 
  • Swollen gums

• • Facial swelling

• • Pain when chewing

• • Bad taste or drainage in the mouth

• • Fever

• • Swollen lymph nodes

Some infections develop gradually, while others can worsen rapidly over just a few days.

 

What Happens If a Tooth Infection Is Left Untreated?

The Pain Often Becomes More Severe

Many people hope a toothache will resolve on its own. Unfortunately, untreated dental infections usually continue to worsen. What starts as mild discomfort can progress into severe, constant pain that affects eating, sleeping, and daily activities.

The Infection Can Spread

As bacteria continue to grow, the infection may spread beyond the tooth and into the surrounding gums, jawbone, and facial tissues.

This can cause:

• • Significant facial swelling

• • Jaw pain

• • Difficulty opening your mouth

• • Tenderness around the affected area

• • Increased risk of complications

Bone Loss Can Occur

A chronic dental infection can damage the bone supporting the tooth. Over time, this bone loss may make treatment more complicated and reduce options for saving the tooth.

You May Lose the Tooth

In some cases, a tooth can be saved with root canal treatment. However, delaying care may allow the infection to destroy enough tooth structure and supporting bone that extraction becomes the best or only option.

Serious Health Complications Are Possible

Although uncommon, severe dental infections can spread into deeper tissues of the face and neck. In rare cases, infections can enter the bloodstream and become life-threatening.

Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:

• • Rapidly increasing facial swelling

• • Difficulty breathing

• • Difficulty swallowing

• • High fever

• • Severe swelling involving the jaw or neck

Can Antibiotics Cure a Tooth Infection?

Antibiotics may help control the spread of infection temporarily, but they usually do not eliminate the source of the problem.

Most infected teeth require definitive treatment such as:

• • Root canal therapy

• • Tooth extraction

• • Drainage of an abscess

A dental examination and X-rays can help determine the most appropriate treatment for your situation.

When Should You See a Dentist?

You should schedule an evaluation as soon as possible if you have:

• • Persistent tooth pain

• • Swelling of the gums or face

• • A broken or severely decayed tooth

• • Drainage or pus around a tooth

• • Signs of infection

Early treatment is often simpler, more comfortable, and less expensive than waiting for the infection to worsen.

Emergency Tooth Extractions and Dental Care in Southeastern Wisconsin

At Dr. Pull It, we provide affordable tooth extractions, wisdom teeth removal, and dental implant consultations for patients throughout Southeastern Wisconsin.

See our service scope here. 

We proudly serve patients from Burlington, Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, Waukesha, Oak Creek, Franklin, Waterford, Lake Geneva, Elkhorn, and surrounding communities.

If you think you may have a tooth infection, don’t wait for the problem to get worse. Contact Dr. Pull It today to schedule an evaluation and discuss your treatment options.