Tooth Infection and Depression
Posted by writeradmin
I’ll be the first to admit that my teeth are a mess. I’ve gone through a series as disasters that have both damaged my teeth and kept me from the dentist to do anything about it.
I got cancer…twice.
I lost my job because of how many days I missed because of said cancer.
I went through severe depression.
I have two back teeth that are missing. However, one of the nearby teeth seems to be infected. My cheek is swollen all the way up the side of my mouth. Is there anything I can do to treat this infection myself? I’m just not in a mental space where I can get to the dentist.
Felicia
Dear Felicia,
You have been through the ringer. I am so sorry this happened to you. It is understandable that you’ve been dealing with depression especially given all your body and life have been through.
I would love to tell you that there is a way to treat this at home on your own, but I would be putting you in danger. In order to get rid of a tooth infection, a dentist has to physically get in there and remove the infected pulp. There are two ways todo this. The first is with a root canal treatment. This is the best solution because it will save your tooth.
If a tooth is too far gone and cannot be saved, the next option is to extract the tooth. The downside to this is two-fold. First, you will lose a tooth. Second, you will have the added expense of needing to replace that tooth. If you don’t do that then the other teeth will drift or tip into the empty space. Left that way, it will throw off your bite and could lead to TMJ disorder, which can be quite painful.
The best type of tooth replacement option is is a dental implant. Even then, I would only do that if it becomes necessary.
Though, I am NOT saying fixing this tooth will solve your depression, you should know that having an infected tooth impacts your overall general health. Many patients have commented that they felt better overall after they too care of a tooth infection. Please don’t put this off. If a tooth infection is left untreated, it will continue to spread and can become life threatening. Yours is already doing that as it has already spread to your cheek. I would consider this a dental emergency.
This blog is brought to you by Arnold, MD Dentist Dr. Meredith Esposito.