Toothache: A Common Dental Emergency
A toothache is a common dental emergency that affects people of all ages. The pain from a toothache can be debilitating! Let’s address some of the causes of toothaches, how to temporarily relieve the pain, and why seeing a dentist is vital in order to prevent further complications.
Causes of Toothaches
Toothache pain indicates a problem with the tooth that often falls into one of the following categories:
Tooth Decay: The primary cause of a toothache is usually decay. Even with good oral hygiene, the food you eat can get trapped in areas of your mouth, encouraging the growth of oral bacteria. The acids they create break down the tooth’s surface, leading to small holes or cavities in the enamel. These cavities expose the sensitive inner layers of the tooth, causing pain.
Gum Disease: Infections of the gums are another cause of tooth pain. A buildup of bacteria in your mouth eventually causes swelling, redness, and pain in the gum area. If left untreated, gum disease eventually affects the roots of the teeth, causing significant pain.
Cracked Tooth: A crack in a tooth often exposes the sensitive inner pulp, leading to a toothache. Pain due to a cracked tooth is especially noticeable when chewing or when exposing the tooth to temperature extremes such as hot or cold liquids. In some cases, a crown can restore the tooth.
Impacted Teeth: When a tooth that was supposed to erupt remains stuck in the gum tissue or bone it is an impacted tooth. Overcrowding due to large teeth or a small jaw, or misaligned teeth, lead to this problem. The pressure caused by the impacted tooth on other roots, teeth, and tissues can cause a lot of pain.
Abscess: An abscess is a severe infection at the root of a tooth or between the gum and a tooth. It is a serious condition that causes intense pain and swelling and will not go away without treatment. The sooner an abscess is treated, the less the damage to the jawbone.
In order to accurately diagnose and treat the cause of your tooth pain, you need to seek the help of a reputable dental professional, such as the dentist at the Placerville Dental Group.
Home Remedies for Toothaches
If you cannot see the dentist immediately, there are some home treatments to help temporarily alleviate your discomfort. Do not put off seeing the dentist, however, because of fear of dental procedures, dental costs, or out of a hope that the pain will go away on its own. Sedation dentistry is inexpensive and an effective way to eliminate all awareness of a dental procedure. Costs can be managed with the help of dental payment programs. And the fastest way to eliminate a toothache is to see a dentist. In the meantime, do these things:
- Apply a cold compress to the face near the aching tooth to help reduce swelling and numb the pain.
- Rinse your mouth with warm saltwater to dislodge trapped food particles and reduce the populations of bacteria.
- Take ibuprofen or acetaminophen to reduce inflammation and relieve some pain. Always use medications as directed on the package.
- Apply a small amount of clove oil on the affected area to numb the pain temporarily.
Even if your tooth pain is controllable, it’s still crucial to visit a dentist. The pain almost always gets worse. Through a comprehensive examination that includes X-rays, a dentist diagnoses the underlying cause of your tooth pain. Treating the underlying cause alleviates the pain and prevents more serious complications. For example, if an infection is the root cause of the toothache, ignoring the pain can lead to a life-threatening blood infection.
Prevention and Treatment of Toothaches
Regular dental check-ups help prevent the conditions that lead to toothaches, and early professional treatment of tooth pain is vital. If you have a toothache, contact the Placerville Dentistry group and get to the root of the problem! We are here to ensure your long-term dental health!
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