Tooth decay can be fatal

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

The death of a 12 year old Maryland boy less than two weeks ago, serves as a reminder to anybody putting off dental treatments, that yes indeed, if left untreated severe dental caries, also known as tooth decay, can cause complications including bacteria and blood infections, and even death.

While the youngster's mother was seeking help for his younger brother whose six decayed teeth were causing him pain, Deamonte Driver’s one abscessed tooth was driving him down a fatal path.

Dental abscesses -- collections of infected materials, called pus, are a result of a bacterial infection of the center or pulp tissue of the tooth -- are often complications of tooth decay.

A root canal (removal of the infected pulp tissue) or even an extraction of the tooth could have saved his life, but instead the bacteria from the single abscessed tooth spread to his brain. Two surgeries and more than six weeks hospitalization could not reverse the damage which had already been done.

Such outcomes are not as rare as we might like to believe.

Dr. Jenifer Schnettler, an endodontist, explains:

“People’s awareness of dental abscesses is not great. They can create sepsis which is an infection in the blood and it can travel into the brain. It’s terrible. The problem with children is that we often have a small window of time. The space in the faces are smaller and closer together. And the normal immune response of swelling and walling off infection is a little more advanced in adults. Geographically, you have a half an inch in the small face of a child.

“This family had a problem obtaining medical care so we tend to see children within the mainstream of medical care attended to more quickly. However, an infection can get out of hand quickly. I have seen children very close, where perhaps we’re looking at a 24-hour window. Mainstream America is well cared for but the infection can still become overwhelming.”

While a good oral hygiene program (including daily brushing, flossing and rinsing) is essential to children and adults alike, poor nutrition can also play a part in tooth decay, especially in children.

Regular dental visits every three to six months is your best defense against tooth decay, however if you or your children do not keep regular dental appointments, you should see your dentist when signs of tooth decay become visible, or if your child complains of a toothache.

Sometimes most basic things can be the reason you are alive. While first aid training is not in the agenda of trainings to get it is one of the most important ones that everybody should get. You are on a jungle camping trip; do you have wilderness first aid training? If no then you are putting yourself and your loved ones in grave danger. One of the things that you should do today is get enrolled in a first aid training course and buy a first aid box, make sure that it has all the essentials like an antiseptic and an antibiotic ointment.