PEOPLE underestimate the power of dental treatment as well as checkups.
Did you know that an uncontrolled dental decay can lead to fatal consequences, like death?
It is unbelievable that a small tooth decay can lead to such an outcome.
This is just an indication that no problem is considered insignificant or small in dental settings, for everything, whether small or big, has consequences if not properly dealt with.
A story is told of a man who was struggling with wisdom tooth pain.
He was far beyond the typical age for growing wisdom teeth (17-25) and his teeth had already erupted and were not impacted (a condition where teeth are not properly erupted), which is usually the causative factor for pain.
As he tried to understand the cause of all that pain, one day during his personal oral hygiene routine, he managed to notice extensive dental decay located on the chewing surfaces of his teeth, spreading to the back side of his wisdom tooth.
However, since he just thought, “it is just a tooth decay anyway”, he did not take it seriously.
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He then went to buy cloves and different herbs to soothe the toothache, which of course was not successful.
Before he had time to put the herbal remedies to use, he had already developed an infection that spread to the floor of the mouth and the neck.
He started experiencing breathing and speaking problems, as well as tightness in the chest and drooling of saliva to the point that wherever he was, he wanted to spit.
Within a few days, a tooth decay had transformed into a life-threatening emergency.
The condition, known as Ludwig’s angina, is described as a bacterial infection that spreads from a tooth to associated tissues around the face.
It is mainly characterised by its propensity to spread in fascial spaces (everyone has them).
Fascial spaces are not just empty voids; they serve a purpose.
They are strategically designed and maintained to enable movement, function, separation and health.
They are formed by the connection of muscles, bones and different structures.
Fascial spaces can accommodate organs like blood vessels, nerves and salivary glands, etc.
In the absence of these spaces, tissues on the face will be fused to each other and movement will be a challenge.
These spaces act as separation compartments to prevent the spread of infection directly to all the fascial structures, though if the infection is extensive and severe, pus can move from one space to another, which is the case for Ludwig’s angina.
This condition involves three spaces: namely the submandibular (under the lower jaw), sublingual (under the tongue), and the submental space (under the chin area).
Ludwig’s angina is caused mainly by dental decay of the mandibular teeth, followed by infection entering the tooth from an exposed surface.
For example, if you had a dental trauma and got your tooth fractured somehow but did not seek help from a dental office, your tooth would be exposed.
Infection can then spread down to the roots, leading to the surrounding tissues.
Tooth decay is not meant to be kept or watched to see where it goes; it is supposed to be removed immediately because once the infection reaches the nerve, the pain is unbearable.
The timeline for the progression of tooth decay to Ludwig’s angina is not specific, but from previous case reports, it is known that it can take days and weeks, sometimes even months, as the decay slowly progresses into an abscess.
Sometimes, once the swelling starts to appear, it can take 24-72 hours for airway obstruction to occur.
Airway obstruction leading to asphyxia (the condition where the body is deprived of oxygen) is usually the cause of death in this condition.
Hence, the doctor’s primary mandate is usually to make sure that the condition is stabilised and the patient is able to breathe.
Though the causes are stated above, there is a group of people that is more prone to developing this condition than others.
These include immuno-compromised patients, for example, HIV patients, people taking immunosuppressant drugs, diabetic patients and cancer patients.
Malnutrition can contribute to the quick progression of the disease due to the body’s inability to fight infection.
Therefore, it is very important to take precautions to prevent finding yourself in this situation.
If you are diabetic or HIV positive, make sure it is controlled.
Malnutrition can be addressed by being intentional about your diet.
Is this condition curable?
Yes, it is curable. The moment you notice any tooth decay on your lower teeth, go and get it treated before it is too late.
Nevertheless, if a swelling appears and it happens to spread down to the floor of the mouth, the surgeon’s first focus is to remove the source of the infection, which is the decayed tooth.
Then they make incisions (cut open the soft tissue) and try to decompress the swelling, letting all the pus inside the tissues out.
However, since the pus is extensive and spreading everywhere, it is not possible to be successfully drained in one day; hence the surgeon inserts tubes into the incision points to drain the pus for a few days, after which, the wounds are dressed everyday to ensure there is no further infection.
In the end, drainage without the use of antibiotics to help to kill the bacteria, the treatment will not be effective, hence antibiotics are prescribed, and by the end of the course, the patient is expected to have shown tremendous improvement.
In conclusion, yes, tooth decay can lead to death and it is avoidable by just making sure that you have no cavities present in your mouth.
You can make it a goal that every month you get rid of decay on one tooth so that the process is not strenuous and difficult for you.
The worst thing is to suffer because of your own choices and decisions.
Negligence is not the way to live, but rather it hinders you from living your life fully.
