People often wonder and debate the effect of abscesses and infections in their mouth in relation to their general overall health. Our body is connected in many systems: circulatory (blood), nervous (nerves & brain), digestive (stomach and intestines), muscular (muscles), immune & lymphatic (body defense, carrying lymph fluid) and many more. In summary, the body has many systems working at once that are connected in more ways that one – and our mouths are a part of a lot of those systems.
In 2007, a 12 year old boy from Maryland passed away from bacteria from an abscess that spread to his brain (article). When left untreated, bacteria can do serious damage to your body just like a bacterial infection anywhere else in your body, including your mouth.
Bacterial infections can be caused by a multitude of reasons but most likely from decay that spreads from a cavity that spreads to the root of the tooth. When an abscess reaches the tip of the root, it can become a periapical abscess which can cause swelling, a visible lump under the gum’s surface above the tooth, and can cause difficulty breathing if left unchecked. If left untreated, decay can lead to infection which can spread to the brain and/or lead to sinus infection. If the infection is present on the lower jaw, it can ultimately constrict airflow and cause airways to become blocked from swelling.
Tooth decay can start as something as small as a cavity but is always something to pay attention to before it starts to bother your body. Once decay starts to bother a tooth, it has reached the nerve and raises the level of treatment usually to a root canal. By this point, it becomes very important to deal with the issue at hand. Be sure to listen to your teeth, and your body – it may just save your life!