A toothache can change your entire perspective on the world. Everything is uncomfortable, talking hurts, eating is miserable, and drinking can be an issue too! A recent study even suggests a link between dental pain and depression, so that sore tooth can definitely cause long-term discomfort!
At Shorewood Family Dental Care we see a lot of patients that are looking for relief from dental pain and seeking what exactly are some causes of toothaches. There are a lot of reasons why you might be experiencing a high level of dental discomfort and a lot of ways we can treat it!
What Causes Toothaches?
Decay? Infection? There’s a few different things that can cause dental pain and all of them require quick treatment! If you’re experiencing a toothache that has lasted more than two days, is accompanied by a fever, or is severe then make an appointment at our Shorewood dentist office right away!
Tooth Decay
When decay reaches the pulp at the center of your tooth you can experience a lot of pain. Dental pulp is where the nerves in your teeth are located and decay quickly infects the pulp, causing inflammation and discomfort.
Tooth decay that has reached the root of your tooth needs to be treated with a root canal. We’ll use special instruments to clean out the infected pulp, fill the chamber with a rubber-like resin, and then crown your tooth to keep it safe from harm. Root canals might have a bad reputation but the procedure will relieve pain and save your tooth!
Abscessed Tooth
Is that toothache accompanied by a fever, swelling, and generally feeling sick? It’s a good possibility the cause of your toothache is an abscessed tooth. And abscess is an infection at the root of the tooth, generally due to decay that has spread beyond the dental pulp and into the soft tissue of your gums or your bone. Abscesses are extremely painful and dangerous – they can spread infection to other parts of your body!
Depending on the severity and location of the abscess we’ll treat it with either a root canal or tooth extraction. We never extract a tooth if we don’t have to so don’t worry – it probably won’t come to that! We’ll also prescribe antibiotics to prevent the infection from spreading or getting worse!
Trauma
Chipped or cracked a tooth? You might not even realize it if the fracture is small or in a spot that’s hard to see! A fractured tooth can really hurt and we want to treat it as soon as possible! Trauma to a tooth could be as simple as chipped enamel or as complicated as a full fracture all the way down to the root!
For many minor traumatic injuries we’ll use a crown to protect the remaining healthy portion of the tooth. If the fracture is severe extraction may be required!
Damaged Filling
If a filling comes loose, breaks, or the cement holding it in place wears out you can experience a lot of pain! We can replace a damaged filling in no time at all, saving you discomfort and the potential for further damage or decay. Just make sure we see you soon!
Gum Disease
Infected gums can be really uncomfortable! Gum disease pain generally comes along with gum recession, swelling and bleeding, redness, and tenderness along the gumline. We can treat gum disease with ease, but it’s a time-sensitive condition: the sooner we treat you the better!
Our gum disease treatments are done using state-of-the-art dental lasers that break up plaque and tarter, kill bacteria, and remove diseased gingival tissue with minimal discomfort. You’ll be smiling pain-free by the time we’re done!
The Key Factor of Toothache Causes: Don’t Wait!
No matter what the cause of your toothache the key thing to take away is that you can’t wait to get it treated! Pain in your mouth requires fast treatment to make sure it doesn’t become worse, and that can happen surprisingly fast!
Even better, nip dental problems in the bud by seeing us for regular checkups. You don’t want to be caught with a horrible tooth-destroying pain when you could have prevented it altogether!
Make the right choice for your smile and call Shorewood Family Dental Care today! You can reach us at 815-725-5991 or you can request an appointment by filling out our online form. We look forward to seeing you soon!
