Procedures

Endodontic treatment

Consequences of no treatment

Untreated infections can progress to life-threatening situations, especially in immune-compromised patients like diabetics and those with AIDS. However, even among healthy persons, it is not unheard of for a patient to die of an untreated dental infection. A few situations bear specific warnings:

• "Ascending infections", which most commonly arise in the upper jaw. These are serious because the veins of the face have no valves in them, and bacteria has a short pathway to the cavernous sinus region of the brain. Cavernous sinus infections can be deadly. If you have significant swelling in the upper part of the face, seek medical/dental attention immediately.
• Large infections that constrict your airway are life-threatening. If you have significant swelling that you feel is impairing your ability to breathe and swallow normally, activate the emergency medical response system (call an ambulance).
• Large swellings in the neck can progress toward the sac around the heart via the muscle fascia planes. If you are experiencing significant swelling, seek medical/dental attention immediately.

Failure to treat an infected tooth will ultimately lead to loss of the tooth. Loss of teeth may cause the remaining teeth to change position, changing the way they mesh in function. This can lead to overloading of the remaining teeth, and a domino effect of fractures, chips, bite collapse (loss of "vertical dimension of occlusion"), chronic facial muscle soreness and jaw joint dysfunction. In addition it can lead to improper nutrition and subsequent digestive issues. The lower face can change shape as the cheeks lose their underlying support, and the corners of the mouth may become chronically fissured and chapped.