When Dental Infections Get Under Your Skin: How Tooth Infections Affect Your Skin

Dental infections like abscesses and gum disease all have one thing in common: they all involve bacteria. And while you can take pain medication for a toothache, that won't help in the long run. In fact, that would be merely masking the problem while the oral bacteria multiply and spread to other areas.

Surprisingly, if you leave a dental infection untreated, there is a chance that the bacteria involved might spread to your skin.

Oral Infections Could Cause Hives

Medical professionals have long been baffled by hives, a skin condition also known as urticaria. However, it is clear that viral infections, allergies and bacteria can all cause hives.

These raised patches of skin are red and itchy and can be as small as a pinhead or much larger, depending on the severity of the reaction. Moreover, until you have identified the cause — such as a dental abscess, for example — hives may continue to appear on a daily basis.

Bacteria cause dental infections. This means that there is a risk that a dental abscess, for example, could also lead to hives. A study of hives, which focused on a dental patient with chronic hives, found that infection is closely linked to the formation of hives.

Oral Infections Can Lead to Facial Cellulitis

Did you know that the bacteria from an infected tooth can penetrate the skin of your face? When this happens, a bacterial infection that doctors refer to as facial cellulitis occurs. Affected areas of the skin may become tender, break out in a rash and feel warmer than usual. If not treated quickly, sufferers may also experience nausea and vomiting.

Streptococcus, a bacterial strain known to cause oral infections and tooth decay, is one of the main culprits when it comes to facial cellulitis.  

Oral Infections May Cause Acne

When an infection occurs in your mouth, a form of bacteria that doctors call propionibacterium, which is usually found in your mouth and throat, multiplies. Interestingly, this strain of bacteria is also present in acne spots. As a result, your body's defenses activate to fight off these bacteria, leading to inflammation and the formation of acne.

A study conducted in 1999 also found that a dental infection likely caused an outbreak of acne. When the patient's dental infection was treated, the acne cleared up.  

Dental infections can affect your body in a number of ways. If you have a dental infection, such as an abscessed tooth, don't just take pain medication and wait for the infection to go away on its own. That could lead to other complication like those mentioned above.

Book an appointment with an emergency dentist to ensure that the bacteria causing the infection do not spread to other parts of your body.