... 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 abscess. ... having experienced tooth decay if he or she had a tooth with untreated decay, had a tooth that had been treated for decay (meaning had a filling), or had lost a tooth due to decay. 17The extent ... with untreated tooth decay, the percentage of children who had experienced tooth decay, the percentage of children with tooth decay in three or more teeth, and the percentage of children with...