Contact Us For Tooth Infection Treatment
Individuals residing in South Florida who believe they might have a tooth abscess are urged to receive dental care as soon as possible. Dr. John Paul Gallardo, periodontist and founder of Gallardo Periodontics, Implant Dentistry and IV Sedation offers a wide range of treatments for patients with oral health issues.
Dr. Gallardo can assess a patients condition and suggest the best possible treatment options. Additionally, the experienced periodontist can perform other important procedures such as dental implants, gum treatments, cosmetic and hygienic treatments, and oral surgery. Dr. Gallardos office can be reached at -547-8687.
Who Gets A Dental Sinus
A dental sinus usually results from a chronicinfection in longstanding necrotic dental pulp . The decay is usually due to caries or trauma. Caries occur due to poor dental hygiene and regular consumption of refined sugars. Other predisposing factors to dental decay include:
- removable dental prostheses
- xerostomia .
Infection is more likely after endodontic work, and in patients that are immunosuppressed, having chemotherapy or suffering from blood dyscrasias.
The direction a sinus takes either within the mouth or to the skin is determined on which tooth is involved and follows the path of least resistance the thickness of the bone as well as muscle attachments and fascial planes direct the route of drainage.
Intraoral dental sinuses usually occur in the sulcus on the cheek side near the tip of the tooth involved.
The majority of extraoral dental sinuses start from a tooth in the lower jaw and drain to the chin or under the chin or jawline . Those originating from a tooth in the upper jaw may drain to the cheek or close to the nose. The site of an extraoral sinus opening is often at quite a distance from the infected tooth.
What Does A Sinus Toothache Feel Like
A sinus toothache will often feel much like the pressure of other areas experiencing discomfort in the sinuses. It may even be a throbbing, intense pain, because of the pressure on the nerves to the teeth. Typically, tooth pain due to sinus infection is not severe, although it can be a constant ache causing a great deal of discomfort.
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What Is The Treatment For A Dental Sinus
Removal of the entire tooth or necrotic dental pulp is the only successful treatment for a dental sinus.
Antibiotics such as penicillin or metronidazole may be also required.
The sinus will usually heal 12 weeks after extraction or successful endodontic treatment. There may be residual scarring if biopsies or surgery had been performed. Otherwise there might be a slight dimple or skin surface colour change that usually improves with time.
Can A Tooth Infection Spread To Your Sinuses
While a sinus infection and tooth pain normally arise in that order, a tooth infection can, in fact, lead to sinus inflammation pain. In rare cases, bacteria, viruses, or fungi in a tooth abscess can spread to the brain and create life-threatening complications.
For this reason, we often recommend erring on the side of caution when it comes to sinus infections and tooth pain if you think the tooth pain youre experiencing goes beyond what youd expect during a sinus infection, consult your dentist.
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Chronic Sinus Infections Can Be Caused By Infected Teeth
Its important to understand that sinus infections can actually be caused by an infected tooth. If one of your upper teeth is infected, there is likely quite a bit of bacteria at the root of the tooth.
The roots of your upper teeth are extremely close to your sinus lining and sinus cavity. In some cases, the root can actually poke through the floor of the sinus. In a severe tooth infection, the bacteria may cause the bone to decay and break down, allowing the infection to spread into your sinus lining, causing sinusitis.
This is also known as sinusitis of endodontic origin. If you are experiencing sinus infection-like symptoms after a root canal, this may be the issue. Your root canal will have removed the infection from your tooth, but your sinuses may still be infected. You may need to see a doctor to get appropriate treatment to eliminate the source of your infection.
Home Treatment Of Dental Abscesses
Although essential oil of cloves can be used to manage the pain and sensitivity associated with dental abscesses, it will not cure the abscess. Abscesses will not go away on their own and cannot be treated at home. Untreated abscesses can develop secondary infections and other serious complications that are extremely hazardous to health . It is possible for an untreated abscess to become a medical emergency requiring urgent care from a doctor or dentist. It may also lead to jaw bone loss.
Only a qualified medical or dental professional is properly equipped to administer treatment for an abscess safely and effectively. It is strongly advised that people affected by abscesses, or who suspect they may have a dental abscess, seek out the advice of a dentist as soon as they can. It is not safe to try to drain an abscess at home or to leave an abscess untreated.
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How To Treat A Sinus + Tooth Infection
We typically begin treatment with antibiotics. However, once theres an infection from the tooth in the sinuses, its difficult to eradicate with antibiotics alone.
If antibiotics are ineffective, a person may need to have surgery to open and drain the sinuses.
Additionally, they may need a root canal on the tooth to remove the abscess or a surgical repair to close the connection between the mouth and nose.
Treatment For A Tooth Infection
There are many ways for your dentist to treat a tooth infection. The type of treatment depends on several factors, like to what extent the infection has spread, and the initial location of the abscess. Read further as we explain the possible different treatment for a tooth infection.
Root Canal Treatment: It may be necessary to receive a root canal treatment. This can help treat abscesses deep inside the tooth. The procedure requires the dentist to drill into the tooth and remove the pocket of pus and bacteria at the root of the tooth. Once finished, the dentist will fill the space with a material called gutta-percha. After the tooth is healed, the dentist can restore the tooth with a crown, or a filling to prevent an infection from happening again.
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What Are The Health Risks Of An Untreated Tooth Infection
The biggest risk is if the infection has spread. If a tooth infection is left untreated or the abscess ruptures then it could possibly lead to life-threatening septicaemia where a visit to the accident and emergency room is required.
As the infection takes hold you may also notice a foul taste in your mouth and people may also let you know that you have bad breath , this can make a tooth infection extremely unpleasant And when added to the pain and further complications means that you really should have any infection treated by your dentist as soon as possible.
Sinus Infection Complications Affecting The Brain
An even more rare, and more serious, complication of sinus infection would be the infection spreading to the brain. The brain is protected by the blood-brain barrier, whose function is to separate circulating blood from the brain and the fluid of the central nervous system. Its very difficult for sinus infection to be able to cross this border, despite the proximity of the sinuses to the brain.
The blood-brain barrier is semipermeable, however, and it is possible on rare occasions for an infection to get through from the sinuses to the brain. If a sinus infection spreads to the brain, it can be a life-threatening condition, leading to swelling of the brain, meningitis, or brain abscess.
Symptoms might include:
- Severe headache, and
- Swelling in the face.
Most of these symptoms would require an emergency visit to the doctor, even without an association with a sinus infection.
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Signs That A Tooth Infection Is Spreading
A tooth infection is no fun at all, and without proper treatment, it can spread to other parts of your body. This can lead to serious complications, and may be life threatening. Your mouth is full of bacteria from food that you eat, and from saliva and plaque. This bacteria can enter into your tooth and result in a tooth abscess. The tooth abscess is a pocket of pus that forms inside your tooth or gums. The good news is that tooth infections or tooth abscess are easily treatable. Just as long as you do not delay treatment. Read further as we discuss signs that a tooth infection is spreading, and the complications that may arise if you do not get prompt dental attention.
Orbital Vs Preseptal Cellulitis
Cellulitis is a type of skin infection, and there are different subcategories that describe the part of the body that’s affected. According to Merck Manuals, cellulitis classified as “orbital” is an infection that begins deep in the orbital septum which is the thin membrane between the eyelids and the bony eye socket. Preseptal cellulitis is an infection of the eyelid and surrounding skin. Both are more frequently seen in children. While preseptal is more common, orbital may be more serious.
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Tooth Infection Problems What You Need To Know
Tooth infection can be one of the most preventable infections, but if left untreated can also lead to other complications with other organs in your body. In this blog post we investigate a series of questions about the problems people experience with tooth infections, how to avoid them and what you can do to treat them if necessary.
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Cellulitis And Facial Cellulitis
Cellulitis is an infection of the skin. Facial cellulitis, for example, can be caused by infections of the upper respiratory tract, middle ear infections or tooth abscesses. Although these conditions can increase the risk of facial cellulitis, they do not directly cause it the condition results when an infection spreads to the skin. Symptoms of facial cellulitis include:
- Swollen, red skin on the face, especially the cheek
- Itching and burning of the affected skin
- A painful, possibly swollen, tongue
- Fever
If you are concerned that you or a loved one may have cellulitis or a tooth abscess, you can start a free symptom assessment right now using the Ada app.
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You Experience Stomach Pain
You should call your doctor if you, your child, or your infant has a high fever. A high fever is defined as:
- adults: 103°F or higher
- children: 102.2°F or higher
- infants 3 months and older: 102°F or higher
- infants younger than 3 months: 100.4°F or higher
Get immediate medical attention if the fever is accompanied by:
A tooth becomes infected when bacteria gets into the tooth through a chip, crack, or cavity. Your risk factor for a tooth infection increases if you have:
- poor dental hygiene, including not brushing your teeth 2 times a day and not flossing
- a high sugar diet, including eating sweets and drinking soda
- dry mouth, which is often caused by aging or as a side effect of certain medications
Understanding The Sinus Cavity Anatomy
To know more about how a sinus infection can cause tooth pain, you must first understand the sinus cavity anatomy. This cavity is made up of maxillary, ethmoid, sphenoid, and frontal sinuses. The frontal sinuses are located near the forehead, slightly above the eyes. The sphenoid sinuses are located behind the eyes. The maxillary and ethmoid sinuses are located on each side of the nose. All these sinuses filter, warm, and moisten the air in the nasal cavity. They also produce mucus which cleans the nose.
If these sinuses become blocked, you are likely to suffer from a sinus infection. This infection will cause congestion and pressure in your sinus cavity. Since the roots of your upper back teeth are near your sinus cavity, these teeth may become painful when you are suffering from this infection.
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How Is A Dental Sinus Diagnosed
The clinical clues should be:
- Past history of toothache, trauma to the face or deep filling
- A persistent draining lesion in the mouth or on the face or neck often despite repeated courses of antibiotics and/or surgery
- Signs on dental examination.
Radiology is the most important investigation, as it will usually show an area of bone loss around the root tip of the chronically infected tooth. When the involved tooth is not obvious, a gutta-percha point may be inserted into the sinus to track its course back to the relevant tooth. Rarely CT scan or MRI is required.
If possible, surgery should be avoided as it will not solve the problem and can result in unnecessary scarring. Biopsies may be reported as showing abscess, granuloma or an epithelium-lined tract.
A variety of bacteria may be isolated from a swab including strictly anaerobic gram negative rods and aerobic gram-positive cocci.
Surrounding Bone Gets Infected
The bones in our face are unable to tolerate the presence of an infection for a long time.
Leaving an infection to spread to your facial bones may eventually necessitate surgical removal to stop it.
Even in minor cases, a tooth infection can cause the bone structures of your jaw to weaken, making it hard to support your teeth.
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Dental Disease Can Lead To A Broken Jaw
Poor oral hygiene can lead to a broken jaw in dogs, especially smaller breeds with disproportionately large teeth, such as Chihuahuas, Lhasa Apsos, Maltese, and Shih Tzus, Dr. Hansen says.
Infection to these dogs mouths can weaken their relatively small jaws, and something as simple as jumping off the couch can lead to jaw fracture, she says.
Its fortunately not a common occurrence, says Dr. Gwenn Schamberger, a board-certified veterinary dentist with WVRC Emergency & Specialty Pet Care in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
But I do see this, and it is serious and very painfulit can be very difficult to get the fracture to heal appropriatelybecause the bone is not healthy bone, Dr. Schamberger says.
Dr. Schamberger explains, I have also had patients that have had a fractured tooth that has been fractured for years and not caused a problem, and they become sick for another reason, and now that fractured tooth does becomes an obvious problem.
Some of the time it can be fixed, says Dr. Fink. However, in many cases, jaws that fracture due to periodontal disease present an extra challenge due to the lack of good quality bone in the area as well as lack of teeth.
Sometimes fractures can even happen after teeth have been removed. This is because without teeth, the lower jaw is weak.
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A Toothache Can Cause Sinusitis And Vice Versa
If your sinuses are infected , this can cause some symptoms that may mimic the feelings of a toothache.
Conversely, if you have a serious tooth infection near the base of your upper teeth, itâs possible for it to cause sinus pain, or even sinusitis if the bacteria spread into the sinuses.
However, itâs usually pretty easy to tell the difference between sinusitis and a toothache caused by oral health problems.
Sinusitis usually includes a number of different symptoms including sinus pressure, post-nasal drip, feelings of stuffiness and discomfort in your nose and sinuses, and a low-grade fever. If you feel these symptoms and one of your teeth also feels tender, it may just be because of sinusitis.
If you have a minor tooth infection, though, you will likely only experience tooth pain and slight sinus pressure, with no post-nasal drip, fever, or other issues.
There is an exception, though. If you donât get help and the infection worsens, itâs entirely possible for the infection to penetrate through the sinus lining and cause sinusitis. This is called âodontogenic sinusitis,â meaning that the sinusitis originated in a tooth. â
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Types Of Sinus Infections: Chronic Vs Acute
There are four types of sinus infections. These classifications depend on the length and frequency of the infection:
- Acute sinusitis.This type of sinus infection lasts only for a short time, defined by the American Academy of Otolaryngology as less than 4 weeks. This short-term infection is usually part of a cold or other respiratory illness. It may also be caused by a bacterial infection .
- Subacute sinusitis. A subacute sinus infection lasts between 4 and 12 weeks .
- Recurrent acute sinusitis. An acute sinus infection is considered recurrent if the infection returns four or more times within a year, with each infection lasting 7 days or more.
- Chronic sinusitis.Chronic sinus infections last for more than 12 weeks or continue to recur.
Many sinus infection symptoms are common in both acute and chronic forms. Seeing a doctor is the best way to learn if you have an infection, find the cause, and get treatment.
For cases of acute bacterial sinus infections, these symptoms last at least 10 days without improving, or they worsen within 10 days after seeming to improve. In this case, its important to talk with a doctor, such as a general practitioner or an ear, nose, and throat doctor , to get a diagnosis and treatment plan.
Learn more about the symptoms of a sinus infection below.
Its A Good Idea To See A Dentist If Youre Experienced Sinus Pain & Tooth Pain
It can be hard to tell the difference between normal sinusitis and a tooth infection on your own, particularly if you have an advanced tooth infection that causes odontogenic sinusitis.
Because of this, we recommend that you see a dentist in Bluffton right away if youâre experiencing any oral pain thatâs accompanied by sinusitis. While you may not have a tooth infection, itâs a good idea to find out for sure. The sooner you treat an infected tooth with root canal therapy in Bluffton, the more likely it is that you will be able to save the tooth and minimize further complications.
So donât wait. Contact Buckwalter Dental Care online or give us a call at 815-3232to get the help you need from Dr. Joel Darrah, and make sure your teeth and sinuses remain healthy and strong.
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