It comes out of nowhere: a sharp pain in one of your teeth. What could be causing it – is it broken? Do you need a root canal? Will surgery be involved?
First things first: don’t panic when you experience a toothache. While it might be serious the early indication of a toothache just means you need to get treatment as soon as possible. Without care a toothache can turn into something worse, so don’t let it!
At Edgewood Dental Care we’re ready to treat your toothache the moment you need us. Emergency patients always have priority, and dental pain is definitely an emergency! But before you get too scared let’s talk specifics: the kind of pain you’re having can tell you a lot about what’s wrong. You may have a non-serious problem that can be treated whenever you have time.
Toothaches Explained
There are a variety of different kinds of dental pain: sharp, dull, throbbing, short-term, long term … the list can go on and on. We’ve boiled it down to some of the most common issues for you right here.
Sensitive To Temperatures?
If you get a quick burst of pain when you eat something hot or cold that’s normally not a super big deal. It could indicate the early stages of damage to a filling, tooth decay, or minor gum recession, but you don’t need to panic. We’ll be able to treat you whenever is most convenient for you.
In the meantime you might try switching toothpastes to one for sensitive teeth, brushing softer, and avoiding extreme temperatures.
Long-lasting pain after eating hot or cold food is a bit more serious. If you spend 30 seconds or more hurting after a hot or cold bite/drink you may have an infected or exposed tooth root. This can be caused by decay or fracture and requires quick attention.
Pain On Biting Down?
If you’re dealing with pain when you bite down there could be several causes. Most commonly this kind of pressure-induced pain indicates a cavity, a failing filling, or fracture in the tooth. In less common instances it could be a sign of infection or damage due to grinding and clenching your teeth, also known as bruxism.
If you’re experiencing any kind of pain when biting down you should definitely make an appointment. Pain when eating can be a miserable experience that really changes how you live, so get rid of it as soon as possible!
Constant Dull Ache?
Bruxism isn’t only responsible for sharp pain. In fact, it’s usually responsible for a dull persistent ache. Pain of this kind can be worse when you bite down, but it’s usually always there in the background, and is usually more intense in the morning.
Grinding, clenching, and gnashing can all cause serious damage to your jaw and teeth, but we can eliminate it pretty easily with a nighttime mouthguard. Don’t let your teeth be destroyed by bruxism when a simple appliance could fix it!
Severe Pain And Pressure
If you’re in severe pain that’s accompanied by a fever, swelling, sensitivity to touch, a feeling of pressure, or a generally ill feeling you probably have an abscess. Dental abscesses are pockets of infection that have spread from an infected tooth into the gums or bone, and they’re serious.
Without treatment an abscess can cause serious damage and even infections elsewhere in your body. They’re a very serious condition that you can’t wait to have treated! In severe cases abscesses can even cause bone loss and permanent, irreversible damage!
Don’t Let Dental Pain Get You Down
No matter what kind of dental pain you’re experiencing we’re confident that we have the right treatment for you. As we mentioned above, we’re always available to see you in the case of a dental emergency – we even have extended hours to accommodate all our patients’ needs.
If you’re in any kind of pain we don’t want you to wait: we want you to call our Edgewood dentist office right away at 859-474-7830. We will do everything we can to make you comfortable and relieve your pain as fast as possible!
If you need to schedule an appointment for a non-emergency exam you can do so by calling us at the above number or by filling out our online appointment request form. We look forward to treating and protecting you and your smile!