If you’ve ever had a serious toothache, you know they are not something you can suffer in silence. Painful toothaches can make your life so unpleasant that you may not be able to eat, sleep, or follow your normal routines. Any persistent or recurring toothache should always be cause for alarm, since teeth cannot heal themselves the way other parts of our bodies can.
Are you suffering from tooth or gum pain? Visit Chisholm Trail Smile Center and our friendly staff will get to the bottom of your pain. Call for an appointment with our Duncan and Velma, OK dentist office. Contact us online or at 580-255-4880.
There are many possible causes behind the feelings one might describe generally as “toothache.” These can include problems with the teeth or gums, and are not always caused by tooth decay (cavities).
Food Stuck in the Teeth
If you have mysterious pain, always do a thorough brushing and flossing to make sure there isn’t a piece of food lodged between the teeth (or the teeth and gum tissue). Sometimes a bit of food can be just big enough to apply pressure and initiate a response that you feel in the whole tooth. Also note that it doesn’t take much to irritate the gums; sometimes a stubborn particle of food can lead you be too aggressive with a toothpick, leaving you with a very sore spot on the gums.
If you feel like there’s a piece of food stuck in your tooth, such as a raspberry seed, use floss or a pick designed for teeth cleaning (not a wooden pick) to gently displace it. If the feeling persists despite a careful cleaning, give us a call and we’ll get to the bottom of your problem.
Inflamed Gums
An all-over aching sensation can sometimes be the result of inflamed gum tissue. Gum disease is far more common than most people realize. More than half of all adults over 40 show some signs of gum infection, and one of the first symptoms is tender or inflamed gums. If you have pain in the gum tissue or bleed when you brush or floss, you may need gum disease treatment to control the infection.
Sensitive Teeth
If you get a sharp or jarring sensation when drinking hot beverages or eating ice cream, you may have sensitive teeth. As we get older and our enamel wears down, the sensitive part of the tooth called the dentin may become exposed. This can happen to many teeth at once or just in one or two spots. If the teeth are sensitive primarily at the gum line, this can be a sign of gum recession, which often indicates gum disease.
A toothpaste made for sensitive teeth can help you prevent temperature sensitivity, but you should always make an appointment if you experience pain. This will give us the chance to check for other problems associated with worn down enamel and provide advice for dealing with your sensitive teeth.
Failing Dental Work
If your toothache is in a tooth that’s had a filling or crown, there’s always the possibility your dental work needs repair. Fillings do not last forever. Metal fillings tend to last a few years longer than tooth-colored composite fillings, but all fillings have a finite lifespan. Sometimes the filling becomes loosened when the material shrinks or leaks after so many years, which can expose the sensitive part of the tooth called dentin, or even lead to secondary decay.
With regular dental appointments we can monitor your dental work and let you know when it needs replacement. Getting you a new filling is usually a fast and easy matter—and it may put an end to your pain!
Pain Associated with Bruxism
Teeth grinding (bruxism) can cause tooth pain, especially in the molars. If you grind your teeth when you sleep, you may be wearing down your tooth enamel and exposing the sensitive dentin of the teeth. Bruxism can also make your teeth more prone to cracks and fractures. Such cracks can cause pain on their own, but they also leave you vulnerable to bacterial infection and cavities.
If you grind your teeth, we can fit you with a special night guard to prevent further damage to the teeth. If you have a deep crack, we can repair and protect the tooth with a durable dental crown.
Tooth Decay and Abscess
The most common cause of severe localized toothaches (i.e., in just one tooth) is decay. When bacterial excretions damage your tooth enamel, it destroys more and more of the tooth, until the nerve endings become exposed. Let a cavity develop for too long, and the infection will reach the inside of the tooth (pulp chamber), requiring root canal therapy. If a tooth does not get treated in time, the decay may destroy so much of the tooth that we cannot save it, and the only “treatment” is extraction.
Abscesses develop when an infection spreads beyond the tooth, and into the soft tissue surrounding the root. A pocket develops to contain the infection and prevent it from spreading to the rest of the body. This can be extremely painful, and usually requires the extraction of the tooth. If you ever experience severe toothache that is accompanied by facial swelling and a fever, you may have an abscess and should seek medical attention right away.
When you come to our office for regular dental appointments, we can examine your teeth for signs of decay. We can even catch cavities before they happen, by identifying and treating spots of demineralization. If a cavity is small, we can provide a filling to halt the spread of decay and ensure you never experience the pain of an infected tooth.
Got a Toothache? We Can Help!
If you are experiencing any form of oral pain, you should always make an appointment with your dentist. If you need a Duncan, OK or Velma, OK dentist call Chisholm Smile Trail Smile Center and we’ll help you get the best oral health possible.
Even if it’s been a few years, we welcome everyone to our practice and treat our patients with respect and dignity. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Matthew Bridges and you’ll see the value of compassionate quality dentistry. Contact us online or call us at 580-255-4880 to make an appointment.
