Question: What are the symptoms of a tooth infection?
Explanation: Tooth infection symptoms progress in a recognisable sequence. Early on there is lingering sensitivity to hot and cold and spontaneous throbbing pain. As the pulp dies, pain may briefly disappear. Once infection reaches the bone, biting becomes painful, the tooth feels raised, and it is tender to tapping. Swelling of the gum or face follows, sometimes with a gum boil, a foul taste, or pus. Systemic signs including fever, malaise, and swollen lymph nodes indicate spread. Difficulty swallowing or breathing is an emergency.
Related Questions:
Can a tooth infection make you feel unwell generally?
Yes. Fever, fatigue, malaise, and swollen lymph nodes under the jaw all indicate the infection is no longer localised. These systemic signs justify antibiotics alongside definitive treatment. Severe systemic upset, rigors, or confusion suggests sepsis and requires emergency medical care.
Why did my toothache stop before the swelling appeared?
Because the pulp died. A necrotic pulp has no functioning nerve, so it cannot generate pain. The bacteria within it continue multiplying and eventually break through the root apex into bone, producing the abscess and swelling. Painlessness is a stage, not a cure.
Can a tooth infection spread to the brain or heart?
Rarely, but it is documented. Infection can spread via fascial planes to the neck and mediastinum, or via blood to distant sites including the brain and heart valves. These complications are uncommon but potentially fatal, which is why facial swelling from a dental infection is never dismissed.
« Back to Glossary Index