Scared that tooth infection ha spread...

How will I know if my tooth infection spread to my brain or other parts of my body??? Scared... I have a sinus infection and eye infection. Are all of these related??? Saw a dentist and doctor recently. I've had all sorts of symptoms for 2 + months. I'm so scared that I hVe a brain abscess. Please help... Thank you...

[Amberjake12]

I feel I should add some things. This all started 2 months ago with head pressure. I scared myself silly. I went to 4 doctors, the er, and to the dentist. At that time I had 4 teeth (3 wisdom and a molar) that had cavities. At that appt. The dentist said there was no infection. Was going through a lot of stress, still am, and am really scared about my health all of a sudden. Saw my doctor on Wednesday and he said it sounded like anxiety. Dentist on Thursday, said I had a tooth infection. Freaked out, bc I know that this can spread to your brain. I've had a stye and a sinus infection, so now I'm convinced that it's spreading to my brain. My doctor said it's unlikely, so did the dentist. I'm taking an antibiotic and will be getting the infected tooth out next week. Possibly all 4... It's a top molar that's infected. Could you give me some kind of symptoms on what would happen if it did spread??? Since the head pressure started, I've had horrible health anxiety. As in, I've been researching online every waking moment, not doing anything I should be doing. I'm taking something for the anxiety, but the doc says it takes a bit to work. Is there any test I should be getting to see if it's spreading??? Would the dentist have been able to tell??? He said there's a "minor infection", and didn't seem concerned at all. Any help would be very much appreciated...

[Gellia]

Hi,
Please try not to worry about this spreading to your brain.  If it were, you would not be writing online, you'd be so sick you couldn't function at all.  You would have a raging fever and delirium with a headache where you couldn't see straight.  You would KNOW you were very seriously ill. There is no mistaking or questioning.

You have antibiotics so that will not happen.  You are addressing the dental problems so you now have that under control.  From what you relate, I would say you have your entire situation WELL under control and taking care of it.

It's easy to let anxiety get out of hand when you have numerous things occurring at the same time.  Your head pressure feeling probably comes from the tooth.  An upper molar can make the sinus feel full and cause the head pressure you describe.  It's normal for an upper tooth infection for things to feel this way.  Antibiotics take around three days to work.

You have this under control.  Try to rest a bit easier that all will go well.
Good luck with your extraction.  My bet is that will go easily also and you will be able to come back with a success story!

My very best to you,
Gellia

[Amberjake12]

I really appreciate your response. I have been so scared, I've been crying! I do have a headache on the same side, but I think it's from the crying. I've been through so much with this anxiety in the last 2 months. It literally popped up out of no where. I've always been a worry wart, but never like this. The dentist didn't mention an abscess, just a tooth infection. Are they the same thing??? It's really weird, bc I don't have pain or swelling in that area.

[Gellia]

Hi again,
Please don't cry.  Everything really will be fine.

The pressure feeling is probably from the minor infection around the tooth root.

Your dentist gave you the antibiotics so it won't get any worse.  In a few days he will be able to remove the tooth.   All the pressure feeling should go away as it heals.  I know it's easy for me to say try to relax, but that's what I will say.
Do try to relax.  You really have nothing to worry about here as you are doing exactly what you should be doing.

And, ah yes, the crying headache.  I do believe I've had one or two of those myself.  Don't worry.  This will all be well.

Best to you, Gellia

[Amberjake12]

I'm trying!!! Since this has been going on, I've been freaking out. Needless to say it's put a huge weight on my fiancé and my relationship, and on my relationship with my six year old son... I'm constantly scared. Wake up shaking... Which went away when I was told it was anxiety, but now is back. It's so scary. I'm assuming if the infection spread, #1 my dentist would have seen something going on, and #2 my doctor would have also. Thanks again, and I hope to keep in touch. It's nice to be able to talk to someone...

[Gellia]

Hi,
Your dentist would have told you if the infection was worse and believe when I say you would know it.  There is no question when a tooth is badly infected.  

You're doing everything right.  It really will be OK.  Try to relax by knowing that you are doing everything according to schedule.  You need to take the antibiotics for a few days before the tooth comes out.  Your dentist has arranged for that with perfect timing.  You're taking charge and taking care of the problem.  Feel empowered by that and your anxiety will diminish.

I usually check into this site a few times a day.  Do let us know how you are doing.  We really LOVE success stories!

Best to you,
Gellia

[Amberjake12]

Hi again... I woke up thi morning feeling extremely anxious. I could feel my heart beating in my head, my pulse rate was high, and my palms and feet are sweating. I cried, again, and blew my nose and ofcourse there was a bit of blood-tinged mucous. This doesn't help. I think now that the infection has moved to my sinuses and is in my brain. I also had a stye a couple of days ago, and believe that that was the infection moving too. Still no severe pain or swelling. My neck is bothering me, and I've had a know begin my ear for 2+ years, and now think that my teeth have been infected that long. Should I go to the er and demand an MRI???

[Gellia]

Hi,
You say you "think" the infection has moved to your brain but seriously there is no medical evidence to support that.  I think you've gotten yourself in a tizzy.  With all the amount of crying you've been doing I'm really not surprised you have the other symptoms you've described.

It's imperative that you get your anxiety under control.  Not doing so is allowing your mind to get away from you and imagining all kinds of things.
Crying is creating most of the problems you're having.  Tensing up the muscles in your neck will create all kinds of problems you describe, too.

Take a deep breath and relax.  Consider that you're on antibiotics for only a minor infection.  The infection will not get away from you and cause more problems.  The antibiotics would prevent that.  You have been prescribed this by someone that has the medical degree that he spent years to get to back this up.  You have to start to believe the people that have the experience to know this better than you.  Let them do their job and have confidence that they know it well.
Your dentist said you had a "minor infection".  Believe him.  He is not lying to you.  He gave you antibiotics to cover you for this.  Trust that they are doing their job, too.  

Your crying is creating all the problems you are now describing.  Blood tinged mucous from the sinus is very common with prolonged crying.  Seriously, if the infection was getting worse, you would not feel well enough to be online.  You would definitely know it and wouldn't be asking questions here.  Serious infections present themselves very clearly and without question.

I'm not sure what to tell you to help you relax, but you have to try.  

You are becoming your own worse enemy.

Do whatever you do to relax and know that the tooth will be gone soon and everything is fine until then.  
Best to you,
Gellia

[Amberjake12]

Hey... Got my 3 wisdom teeth and one molar pulled on Monday... Awful... I'm really hoping no dry socket or infections follow. I went to my pcp today, and he still says anxiety. I've been crying so much lately, and after my teeth were pulled I started getting dizzy, not spinning, but feel like I might fall over. Having a lot of sinus pain, especially in my cheeks, and headaches in my temples. Can't shake this feeling that something serious is wrong... My doc did a neuro exam today and said if it were something more than anxiety, there would be stronger symptoms and he would be able to find something on this exam. He denied an MRI for me! He said he really doesn't think I need one. Just curious if you have had any dizziness with tooth extraction. Still scared, but trying to calm down.

[Gellia]

Hi,
I really have to agree with your doctors.  Crying and anxiety is the problem.  Your crying will stuff up your sinuses and make you dizzy.  It can give you pressure in your head.  It can give you toothaches and tense muscles.  All from crying.

Think about it.  Do you really think these drs are keeping something from you?  If so, why would they do that?  

You're anxiety is not allowing you to trust in their judgement.  Why would you pay them then?  You're paying them, but neither listening nor believing them.  Getting this anxiety under control, and understanding that these drs know about these things far better than you will go a long way into controlling the anxiety that is giving you symptoms and problems you need not have at all.  

Good luck with this.  I hope you can succeed.
My best to you,
Gellia

[Amberjake12]

Hello again. It's been 4 days... I'm still having strange headaches, but I am also now having pain on one side where an upper wisdom tooth was extracted and an upper pre-molar. I went in today, but only saw a dental assistant. He flushed them all, and put a clove paste on the 3 wisdom teeth. I still can't eat regular foods, b/c it all gets stuck in my teeth... And I can't see the upper wisdom teeth holes bc they were turned towards my cheek... Ugh... I'm afraid that there is food getting trapped and I won't know it. The headaches are mainly in the temple region, and the right sided pain from my teeth, is only there when I lick my lips or move my mouth in a certain way. The dental assistant said no dry socket, but didn't mention anything about infection. Also, when they gave me my teeth, one of them looked almost crystalized around the root??? Would this be an abscess??? It wasn't the tooth that was infected and the dentist didn't mention anything. Still worried about infection. I have no fever, but I am sweating a lot... Which was happening before the teeth came out. Also, after the teeth were pulled I had dizziness 2 days after, it seems to have let up (knock on wood), but just wanted to know if this is typical.

[Gellia]

Hi,
Everything sounds normal!  Congratulations for finally getting them out and working through your fear.  You will heal now.  If there had been any infection the assistant would have seen it.  That nothing was mentioned means there is none.  You will have headaches for awhile.  Your crying stuffed up your sinus and they will now have to recover also.  The roots of all teeth can appear different.  Any infection is now gone because any infected teeth are gone.  Don't worry about food getting trapped.  Everyone worries about that and I have yet to hear of it happening after extraction.  You are just advised to use good common sense when eating for a few days to allow it to fill in some.  Any pain in the immediate dental area is from surgical trauma.

Relax now.  This is all normal healing.  Give yourself a break and mostly let your sinus recover from a prolonged crying jag.

Good luck.  You're doing fine.
Best to you,
Gellia

[dspengler3]

hi my name is dustin and i was wondering i have been on antibios three time because of my top wisdom teeth they are broken and keep getting infected... wat will happen if the abcess (abscess) gets into my sinus cavaty im making an appt. to get a consult and from there they are going to refer me to a oral surgen but im kinda worried that ill need more surgery to lean out my sinuses too... can you help me out lol thx....