Trego's Mountain Ear

One of my google search suggestions was ‘How long until a tooth infection kills you?’

Real concern? Actually, yes, though less so in the modern developed world. What makes a toothache dangerous is that an infection can spread to other parts of the body.

So you have a toothache… it’s either a temporary problem, or a permanent problem. How do you tell? Obviously, you wait and see. Unless, you’re showing other infection symptoms (fever/chills), in which case you should assume it’s an emergency and act as such.

Why does the tooth ache? Most likely because the pulp on the inside of the tooth is inflamed and pressing on your nerves. Why is it inflamed? Lots of reasons it could be- the most common is a cavity.

A cavity is basically a growing hole in the enamel that allows access to the inner pulp of your tooth. At this point, pain doesn’t have to be caused by an infection.

A cavity makes a tooth vulnerable to infection, though, and with that comes the risk of progression into sepsis. These days, few people in the developed world die of tooth aches. In the 1600s, toothaches were the 5th or 6th leading cause of death in England.