In extremely rare and advanced cases, an untreated abscess can cause a life-threatening infection. This is because an abscessed tooth is an infection! And if this infection spreads to your brain — it can cause a brain infection which can lead to death. However, whenever patients ask me about this, I always hesitate, because I never want to scare anyone about the WORST CASE SCENARIO. It’s much more likely to lose your tooth due to a tooth abscess versus losing your life due to a tooth abscess — b