As a family dentist in Gilbert, I get asked this question a lot:  ‘how bad is an abscessed tooth?’  Well, in a word, bad, or at least it can be…

Tooth Abscess and Your Health

What a lot of people don’t know is that your teeth aren’t just bone.  The bone is merely the outer covering of a couple of different tissues.  When a tooth goes bad, it ultimately starts to become infected, and that’s where an abscess comes in.  First off, though, what is a tooth abscess?  This article excerpt from Wikipedia explains it rather well: “A tooth abscess or root abscess is pus enclosed in the tissues of the jaw bone at the apex of an infected tooth’s root(s). Usually the abscess originates from a bacterial infection that has accumulated in the soft, often dead, pulp of the tooth. This can be caused by tooth decay, broken teeth or extensive periodontal disease (or combinations of these factors). A failed root canal treatment may also create a similar abscess.” [READ MORE] What does designer Hugo Boss have in common with a man named Kyle Willis?  They both died of an untreated tooth abscess.  Yes, it really can be that serious.  So if you have a tooth abscess, get into a family dentist immediately, even if it isn’t hurting.  However, with an abscess tooth, pain can also be potentially fatal as well.
How can tooth pain be fatal?  Whenever any part of our body is in pain, the tissues are inflamed.  Inflammation anywhere sends pain signals to the brain, and if there are too many of them, it can cause us to hypertension.  The whole problem can cascade to the point of hypertension, which is a precursor to a stroke or a heart attack.  And as your mouth is so close to the brain, the pain impulses from a tooth abscess have less of a distance to cover.

If You Have a Tooth Issue, Call Your Family Dentist

Tooth pain is bad in and of itself, however, as you see, it is something that can cause even more issues.  So it is up to you to take care of yourself.
If you’re having any sort of problem with your teeth, but particularly an abscess tooth, don’t let it go.  Instead, call a family dentist in Gilbert.
Gilbert Vista Dental Care
2451 East Baseline Road #210
Gilbert, AZ 85234
(480) 503-5467
https://drritapeck.com