Infected or Fractured Teeth

A chipped or broken tooth can certainly affect the immune system if the pulp is involved.

A chipped or broken tooth can certainly affect the immune system if the pulp is involved. Teeth have little tubules which run from the pulp (nerve and blood supply) through the middle layer called dentin. Should these tubules become exposed due to cracks, fractures, trauma , decay, etc, bacteria can invade these tubules and travel to the pulp. The pulp is the innermost layer of the tooth. It’s made up of nerve and blood vessels that connect tooth to the body.  If the “chip” is deep enough and is all the way into the pulp, then the pulp gets infected.  Infected pulp in turn will feed surrounding bone and the rest of the body with constant dose of bacteria. If your body is exposed to bacteria, it will affect other systems, including weakened the immune system.