A woman has told how a routine trip to the dentist triggered a nightmare chain of events that ended with her in a coma.
Demisha Jennings, 32, visited the dentist to get a tooth pulled several years ago in Indiana but on returning home, she found the open wound in her mouth became infected.
Some of the symptoms of these types of infection include facial swelling, bad breath, swollen glands, a fever and pus in and around the extraction site.
Ms Jennings claims her infection led to sepsis, which happens when the body overreacts to the presence of bacteria in the blood, causing the immune system to attack its healthy organs.
This severe infection caused damage to her heart valves and the inner lining of her heart, a condition known as endocarditis.
Damaged heart valves can disrupt blood flow, which can lead to serious heart problems such as heart failure, blood clots and stroke.
It is unclear how quickly after the trip to the dentist Ms Jennings’ condition declined.
However, after seeking medical help, she was rushed in for open heart surgery and placed on life support for seven days.
Demisha Jennings, 32, visited the dentist to get a tooth pulled but on returning home, she found the open socket in her mouth became infected
During the surgery, doctors fixed her damaged heart valve to improve her heart function.
This kind of intervention typically requires the removal of infected tissue and sometimes the implantation of a prosthetic valve to restore proper blood flow.
Following surgery, Ms Jennings took antibiotics for six weeks to get rid of the infection.
The career development consultant shared her story on social media in a bid to warn others to stay on top of their oral hygiene.
A very small percentage of tooth extractions lead to sepsis.
Sudies have shown that there are around 1.48 cases per 100,000 patients.
Dr Matt Parker, from AZ Family Dental, says some of the best ways to avoid infections after tooth extractions include only eating soft food, rinsing your mouth as directed, applying pressure to the healing areas and continuing to practice good oral hygiene.
‘You need to keep gently brushing your teeth after your extraction,’ he adds.
Luckily, Ms Jennings was able to get on top of her infection before it led to organ failure.
A very small percentage of tooth extractions lead to sepsis, and studies have shown that there are around 1.48 cases per 100,000 patients
According to the American Heart Association, about 47,000 people in the US get an endocarditis diagnosis each year.
The disease has a high mortality rate, with nearly 40 percent of people dying within the first year of diagnosis.
Ms Jennings says former NFL player Mike Williams was not as lucky her and he died from dental-related sepsis at age 36 on September 12, 2023.
Dr Parker says if you think a bone infection after getting your tooth extracted has resulted in sepsis, ‘seeking immediate treatment will help you avoid the worst-case scenario trip to the ER’.
After sharing her story, many of Ms Jennings’ followers shared their own tales of near-misses.
One user wrote: ‘My husband got endocarditis from a tooth infection as well. He had a bunch of symptoms for six months and doctors couldn’t detect what was wrong with him.’
Another commenter shared: ‘My brother died of a tooth infection.’
