Can a Tooth Abscess Cause Diarrhea? What Is Actually Linked

What an abscess normally does, and what it does not

An abscess is a pocket of infection at the tip of a tooth root or in the gum. The usual body-wide signs are a low fever, tiredness, tender glands under the jaw and a poor appetite. We list them in can a tooth abscess make you sick. Diarrhea is not on that list, because the infection sits in the jaw and the gut is nowhere near it.

So the honest answer is that most people with an abscess and loose stools have two things going on. Stomach bugs are common, and they do not check whether you also have a tooth problem.

The side routes that can connect them

There are three realistic ways a dental infection and a bad stomach end up together:

• Antibiotics. This is the most common one by far. Many antibiotics used for tooth infections upset the gut, and diarrhea is a well-known side effect. If it started after the first dose, tell whoever prescribed them.
• Swallowed infection. An abscess that is draining into the mouth means you are swallowing it all day. That can turn the stomach and cause nausea, and occasionally looser stools.
• A spreading infection. When an infection moves beyond the tooth and the whole body is struggling, the gut can be affected too. This is the uncommon one, and it comes with other signs.

The third is the reason not to wave the symptom away. We go through the stages in can a tooth abscess cause sepsis.

When diarrhea plus a sore tooth means hospital

If the loose stools come with any of the following, go to an emergency room and do not stop at a dental clinic first:

• A high fever, shaking chills or a racing heart
• Swelling that is spreading across the face, down the neck or toward the eye
• Trouble swallowing, trouble breathing, or being unable to open your mouth
• Confusion, severe drowsiness, or vomiting you cannot stop
• Diarrhea that is severe, bloody, or leaves you unable to keep fluids down

That last point is a stomach problem, not a tooth one, and a doctor should see it whatever your tooth is doing. Our post on when a dental infection is a hospital emergency covers the dental side, and the ADA's page on abscessed teeth is a plain second source.

If you are well apart from the tooth and the stomach

Then both can be dealt with on their own terms. A mild stomach upset usually passes with fluids and rest. The tooth does not pass. A tooth that has been sore, swollen or throbbing for days still has an infection in it, and most people hope that is the one part that will go away by itself. It rarely does.

We examine the tooth, take an X-ray and test it to find the source. The fix is a root canal to clean out the infected pulp (the nerve inside the tooth) and keep the tooth, or an extraction if it cannot be saved. Antibiotics are sometimes added, but they do not clear a dead tooth from the inside, which is covered in antibiotics for a tooth infection. If you are on them and your stomach is struggling, say so, because we may be able to change the plan. Our guide to what a tooth abscess is and how it is treated has the full picture.

A tooth problem and a stomach problem in Beit Shemesh on a Thursday night

Our clinic at Harav Kook 28/1 is open Sunday to Thursday 8:00 to 20:00 and Friday 9:00 to 17:00, and Shabbat is for genuine emergencies only. Feeling rough on a Thursday evening with a sore tooth is a worse problem than the same thing on Sunday morning, because the weekend is long and an infection does not keep it.

If you are otherwise well, call. We offer same-day appointments through our tooth abscess treatment in Beit Shemesh and our emergency dentist, and Dr. Joel treats in Hebrew and English, so you can list every symptom exactly, stomach included, rather than approximately. People in Ramat Beit Shemesh are about 2 km from the chair. If you have any warning sign above, go to the hospital first.

The short version: diarrhea is rarely caused by an abscess itself, but a sore tooth with a sick feeling still needs examining. Call or WhatsApp our Beit Shemesh clinic on 055-985-8845.