LL3 had a severe dental abscess (pocket of pus) in his maxilla - the upper jaw. The infection had advanced to the point where it penetrated the bone itself, leaving a visible lesion. Abscesses of this severity are caused by bacterial infection reaching the root of the tooth and spreading into the surrounding tissue. Untreated, they produce intense, persistent pain, significant facial swelling, and, in some cases, systemic illness as the infection enters the bloodstream. In the early Middle Ages, there was no means of draining such an abscess surgically or eliminating the infection with antibiotics. 

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An advanced dental abscess is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition. As infection spreads from the tooth root into the surrounding tissue, the symptoms escalate rapidly: severe throbbing pain radiating to the jaw, ear, and neck; visible facial swelling; fever and chills as bacteria begin to enter the bloodstream. Teeth adjacent to the infection may loosen as the bone supporting them is gradually destroyed. In some cases the jaw locks, making it difficult to open the mouth or swallow. The bone itself is at risk. Persistent infection releases enzymes that break down jaw tissue, reducing its density and structural integrity, and can progress to osteomyelitis - a condition in which bacteria colonise the bone directly. Left entirely untreated, the infection can spread to the sinuses or the heart, or trigger sepsis, a whole-body inflammatory response that is frequently fatal. In the early medieval period, none of the interventions that now make abscesses routinely manageable were available. For LL3, the destruction visible in his maxilla was the inevitable result of an infection that had nowhere to go and no means of being stopped.

The white arrow (photo top left) indicates LL3's the lesion in LL3's maxilla where the infection has penetrated the bone. Due to the size of the lesion, craniofacial expert Tobias Houlton has represented LL3 with significant swelling on the right side of his face in this area (image bottom left).

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