Office Location: 540 East Main Street, Lexington, KY 40508
New patients: 855-610-7695 | Existing patients: 859-252-0314
Williams Family Dentistry
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Meet Dr. Williams
    • Meet Our Team
    • Contact Us
    • Request an Appointment
    • What Can I Expect My First Visit?
    • Patient Forms
    • Financial Policies
    • Map to Our Office
  • Cosmetic Dentistry
    • Porcelain Crowns
    • Porcelain Veneers
    • Teeth Whitening
  • Tooth Replacement
    • Dental Implants
    • Dentures
    • Implant Overdentures
  • Other Services
    • Pediatric Dentist
    • Emergency Dentist
    • Sedation Dentist
    • Wisdom Teeth
    • Mercury-Free Dentist
    • Metal-Free Dentist
    • Sleep Apnea
Our Reviews
  • Facebook
  • Google

Can an Infected Tooth Spread to a Salivary Gland?

Posted on July 3, 2020 by writeradmin.

My daughter has had two salivary gland infections right above where she had two root canal treatments on the same tooth. Could this be spreading to infect her salivary gland? The doctor can’t seem to figure out what is leading to the infections and this is the only thing I could think of that makes any sense. Do tooth infections spread out of the teeth?

Margie

Dear Margie,

woman holding her jaw in need of an emergency dentist

A tooth infection can spread outside of the tooth. This is one of the reasons they are considered dental emergencies. Your jaw is very close to your heart, lungs, and brain so a dental infection can turn life-threatening if left untreated. That being said, yes, it is possible an infection has spread to your daughter’s salivary glands. However, that would only be possible if her root canal treatment had failed.

You mentioned this is the second root canal treatment on this tooth. That means she’s already had one failed root canal treatment. The chances of a successful treatment go down with each successive re-treatment. My advice to you is to see an endodontist, also known as root canal specialists, to have an x-ray done. The x-ray should show you if there is an infection present.

If the Tooth Can’t be Saved

If there is an infection, the root canal specialist will have a much better chance of giving you a successful treatment. It is also possible that this tooth cannot be saved. In that case, all that would be left is a tooth extraction. When a tooth is extracted, it needs to be replaced otherwise the adjacent teeth will shift or tip into the space, completely throwing off her bite.

The best tooth replacement option is a dental implant. However, if your daughter is a teenager, her jaw isn’t developed enough for that treatment yet. In that case, I would get her a dental flipper, which is an inexpensive temporary tooth replacement. You can use that until she is old enough for the dental implant.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

Filed Under: Emergency Dentist Tagged With: dental flipper, dental implant, infected salivary gland, root canal failure, root canal treatment, tooth extraction, tooth infection, tooth replacement

Recent Posts

  • I Can Smell My Husband’s Dental Implant
  • Sister Says I Need to Remove the Rest of My Wisdom Teeth
  • Burning Mouth Syndrome or Zirconia Allergy
  • Tooth Infected and No Money
  • Can I Have a Pretty Smile After Twenty-Seven Years in Dentures
Do you have a question for a dentist? Get a personal answer.
Ask a Dentist

Archives

  • June 2025
  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018

Categories

  • 8
  • Affordable Dentist
  • Best Kentucky Dentists
  • Cosmetic Dentistry
  • Dental Implants
  • Dentures
  • Emergency Dentist
  • Holistic Dentist
  • Lexington Dentist
  • metal-free dentist
  • Pediatric Dentist
  • Porcelain Veneers
  • Sedation Dentist
  • Teeth Whitening
  • Wisdom Teeth
  • Zirconia Crowns
  • Zirconia Dental Implants
  • Zirconia Dental Implants
Request
an Appointment
Please fill out short form. When we receive your information, one of our staff members will contact you to set up a specific appointment.
540 East Main Street
Lexington, KY 40508
New Patients: 855-610-7695
Existing Patients: 859-252-0314
Office Hours:
Mon - Thur: 8am – 5pm
Every Other Friday: 8am – 5pm
Williams Family Dentistry
  • Lexington KY Affordable Dentist
  • Privacy Policy
  • Blog

© 2025 Kentucky Dental Group • All rights reserved Privacy Policy
Website Design and SEO by Infinity Dental Web IDW Copyright Logo

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Meet Dr. Williams
    • Meet Our Team
    • Contact Us
    • Request an Appointment
    • What Can I Expect My First Visit?
    • Patient Forms
    • Financial Policies
    • Map to Our Office
  • Cosmetic Dentistry
    • Porcelain Crowns
    • Porcelain Veneers
    • Teeth Whitening
  • Tooth Replacement
    • Dental Implants
    • Dentures
    • Implant Overdentures
  • Other Services
    • Pediatric Dentist
    • Emergency Dentist
    • Sedation Dentist
    • Wisdom Teeth
    • Mercury-Free Dentist
    • Metal-Free Dentist
    • Sleep Apnea
  • New Patients Click to Call
    (855) 610-7695
  •  
  • Existing Patients Click to Call
    (859) 252-0314