... pain, infection, and tooth loss. How can tooth decay lead to death?Untreated tooth decay can penetrate the tooth surface, allowing bacteria to infect the interior of the tooth, causing an ... hygiene, injury prevention, and speech and language development, among other topics. Because resistance to tooth decay is determined in part by genetics, eating patterns, and oral hygiene, early ... travel to surrounding tissue or other organs, including the brain, and on extremely rare occasions, cause death. Travel to surrounding tissue and bonesNerves BacteriaAbscessTravel to otherorgans,...