OTTAWA, CANADA - In late April, the Canadian Dental Association released a case study about a toothache that grew into a brain abscess. Drs. Christine E. Hibberd and Trang D. Nguyen examined the case of an 11-year-old boy's brain abscess.
Ottawa cosmetic dentists Drs. David Bartos and Mark Northcott share this study so other patients will take toothaches seriously, both in their children's mouths and in their own.
The boy experienced a week of stomach sickness and two weeks of a persisting headache. He went to the ER, but the doctors weren't able to diagnose him. They assumed influenza or migraines. The boy's mother heard her son scream the next day from another room. She found him on the floor gripping his head in pain. The hurried him to the hospital, and from there he was transported to Toronto by air.
The Hospital for Sick Children performed magnetic resonance imaging to scan the child's brain.
The imaging revealed a brain abscess. Doctors moved him to the neurosurgery department for urgent care and gave him antibiotics. The abscess diminished after a craniotomy and aspiration.
The doctors discovered that the boy had a toothache a few weeks earlier that had gone away.
A
dental assessment showed serious decay in a lower molar. Dentists removed the decayed tooth and called for cultures, which formed a few different Streptococcus varieties.
The abscess kept diminishing, and the boy was sent to a rehabilitation hospital to recover his comprehension skills, says the
Ottawa teeth whitening dentist. The boy left the hospital three months later. He continues speech and occupational therapy.
This isn't an isolated case. A 12-year-old boy died in 2007 after bacteria from a dental abscess spread to his brain, according to The Washington Post.
Bartos and Northcott examine patients with utmost care.
Patients with lingering pain should make a dental appointment immediately.
Family dentistry can sometimes save lives, as tooth decay can spread to other body parts and inflict fatal damage.
Trillium Dental offers general and cosmetic dentistry to the greater Ottawa area.
Invisalign Teen, teeth bleaching, porcelain veneers and gum contouring help Trillium patients show off their best smiles possible.
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To learn more about Trillium Dental, visit http://www.trilliumdental.ca/ or contact their corporate office at 613-595-1360.
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The experienced staff at Trillium Dental offers comprehensive dental care in each of its six offices across greater Ottawa. Doctors treat patients through cutting-edge technology in a modern, comfortable setting.
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