Dental Trends of the Future: Leaving the Past Behind

If you have not suffered a tooth infection before, you might not know how severe these cases can be. Infections can cause toothaches, making it difficult to handle your daily chores or work. If no treatment is provided on time, tooth infections can worsen by spreading to other body parts. In some instances, the condition can be deadly.

To prevent this, you should know when a tooth infection has started to spread to other body parts. This way, you will visit a doctor or dentist's office — such as Total Dentistry — before the condition becomes severe. Read on to learn some of these signs.

Excessive Swelling

Whenever you have a dental infection, it will show as an abscess. This is a pimple that grows and gets filled with pus. It can be accompanied by minimal swelling close to the affected area. If the infection persists or you fail to seek medication, the swelling could increase, making it difficult for you to breathe or even swallow food. Usually, this indicates the infection hasn't stopped spreading and could cause serious complications if not addressed. Therefore, check with your dentist before this happens.

Fever

Every time you develop a fever, it is a sign that your body is naturally defending itself against an infection. Usually, many infection-causing bacteria cannot survive in an environment with high temperatures. Therefore, you may develop a fever if you have a tooth infection. However, you should know that high body temperatures are not ideal for your body either. In most cases, if allowed to continue for too long, you may start shivering or develop chills. Therefore, it will be best to go for treatment to control the fever.

Feeling Sick

You could also feel sick or unwell when your teeth are infected. For instance, if you've had a toothache, it could turn into a constant headache. In some severe cases, the pain can travel up the jawbone and equally affect your ears. Moreover, you may feel fatigued or get dizzy.

The best way to avoid these complications is to ensure your teeth do not get infected. You can prevent a dental abscess by maintaining your oral hygiene as recommended by dentists, using mouthwash to kill bacteria, and changing your toothbrush regularly. In addition, stick to a healthy diet with no sugary foods, and go for regular dental cleaning appointments. And when you notice signs of an infection or see an abscess, visit your dentist right away.