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Dental pain is no small thing. In fact, tooth pain can ruin your day or put you in a bad mood. Sharp pain can make it difficult to concentrate at school or work, and extreme sensitivity can ruin mealtimes. What causes these frustrating tooth pains? Let’s take a closer look at the top five reasons for dental pain & toothaches and see when it’s time to visit your dentist!
Tooth decay causes most toothaches, so following a good oral hygiene routine can prevent most toothaches.
Good oral hygiene practices consist of:
Gently brushing your teeth with a soft bristle brush and fluoride toothpaste will remove the plaque and bacteria are toothache causes to begin with. In addition to these practices, ask your dentist about fluoride treatments and sealant applications and make healthy food, snack and beverage choices that are low in sugar.
Learn from WebMD: Why Do My Teeth Hurt?
Related Article: Causes of Tooth Pain
Plaque and bacteria in the mouth do more than just bother your gums, they also begin to dissolve your enamel on your teeth. When your enamel gets broken down, your teeth aren’t as strong anymore and are more susceptible to weak spots and pain. When bacteria concentrate in an area, you can experience a cavity or holes in the teeth. When this happens, your teeth may feel sore and sensitive.
Also caused from an excess of bacteria, an abscess forms when bacteria builds up inside your tooth’s pulp. This causes an infection and leads to swelling and soreness, or a toothache. Pus can also develop around the tooth, so it’s important to visit your dentist right away if you see these symptoms. An x-ray can confirm the diagnosis and often antibiotics are used to fight the infection.
Has a certain tooth developed sensitivity to cold and/or hot temperatures? Tooth sensitivity can happen for a myriad of reasons and is often the indicator of an underlying symptom, so it’s important to let your dentist know if you’re experiencing extreme sensitivity. There are many treatments that can help, such as using a sensitive toothpaste and fluoride. Learn more: Do You have Sensitive Teeth? Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments.
Although enamel is extremely tough and durable, sometimes we experience a chipped or broken tooth whether it be from an injury or whatnot. Try to not chew on ice, pens, open packages with your teeth, and so on to prevent any breakage. A crack in the tooth can cause extreme sensitivity and pain. Sometimes, a crack may not be clearly visible to you and may be in the back area of the tooth. If you think you may have a crack, visit your dentist right away. Treatment options often include crowns and root canals, depending on severity. Learn more: My Tooth Hurts! Do You Have a Broken or Cracked Tooth?
Gum disease is as worrisome as it sounds, and affects many adults every year. Gum disease, or periodontitis, is when bacteria eats away at your gums. This is most often caused from bad dental hygiene and excess bacteria in the mouth. Gum disease can make your gums feel tender, or sometimes bleed, and cause tooth pain. The earlier you catch gum disease and begin treatment and better dental care, the better. If you notice a toothache and swollen or red gums, come in and see your dentist quickly for an examination. Learn more: Gum Disease: How can I prevent it? How does it affect my body?
Our goal is to fix any dental emergency as soon as possible and get you back on your feet and out of pain. Accidents can happen, and quick action and knowledge of dental emergencies can easily save a tooth! Make sure to give us a call at Adams Dental as soon as you experience the signs of a dental emergency.
Learn more from this Dental Emergency FAQ.
These are clear signs of dental emergencies, due to injury:
While these signs are often correlated to a dental emergency, there are other signs and symptoms to also be aware of that aren’t as sudden or apparent. Symptoms such as prolonged pain, or a swollen jaw are major indicators that something isn’t right, even if they do seem more subtle.
First, your dentist will conduct a dental exam. He or she will ask you questions about the pain, such as:
Your dentist will examine:
X-rays may be taken as well as other tests, depending on what your dentist suspects is causing your toothache.
Treatment for a toothache depends on the cause or source of pain. If a cavity is causing the toothache, your dentist will remove the decay, fill the cavity or possibly extract the tooth, but only if there is no way to save the tooth.
A root canal may be necessary if the cause of the toothache is from an infection of the tooth’s nerve. Bacteria that have worked their way into the inner areas of the tooth cause that type of infection. An antibiotic may be prescribed if there is fever or swelling in the jaw to get rid of the infection.
Regular dental exams and cleaning is wonderful preventative care to keep you from experiencing dental pain and toothaches. Although you may be brushing and flossing really well at home, tartar and plaque is impossible to remove with regular brushing and flossing, and can build-up over time. Dentists are able to use specific tools to remove that plaque and tartar, keeping our mouth cleaner and our chances of other complications much lower.
We are excited to let you know that we are now offering our very own affordable dental membership plan that covers all your preventative care and gives you discounts on other procedures. It is a simple and budget-friendly dental plan offered directly from our practice — so you can access the care you want and deserve, for less. Learn more: Get Affordable Dental Care with our Affordable Membership Plan
Local dentist, Travis A. Roberts and his experienced, friendly team at Adams Dental Group offer affordable family dentistry and gentle dental care in the Kansas City, KS area. We have two locations that are conveniently located and offer appointment times Monday through Friday to meet your needs. At Adams Dental Group, we provide most dental services, from family and general dentistry to specialty procedures, including dental implants, dentures, endodontic or root canal treatment, teeth whitening, cosmetic dentistry and much more. We accept most dental insurance plans and offer affordable financial solutions for any budget. Call us at our West location (913) 296-8030 or our East location (913) 621-3113 to schedule an appointment.
Dr. Travis A. Roberts, DDS September 28th, 2021
Posted In: Emergency Dental Care
Tags: chipped tooth, gum disease, tooth decay, tooth pain, tooth sensitivity
It can be hard for you to tell if a tooth is cracked. If you have pain, you may not be able to tell which tooth hurts or even whether the pain comes from the top or bottom of your mouth. Cracks may be invisible to the eye and m ay not even show on an x-ray. And sometimes you won’t have any pain or sensitivity at all; your dentist will discover it during your exam.
If you are having symptoms you can help your dentist find the cracked tooth by sharing some information:
Related Article: Do You Have Sensitive Teeth? Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments
A tooth may crack for many reasons, such as:
Related Article: Stress Affects Oral Health: Are You Clenching or Grinding While You Sleep?
Pulp is the soft tissue inside the center of your tooth and contains nerves and blood vessels. If the crack reaches the pulp, your tooth may be sensitive to hot and cold. Sometimes, a crack in the enamel of your tooth goes all the way down to the nerve pulp. This type of cracked tooth may hurt when you bite down or when you stop biting. The crack may be too small to see , but is large enough for the pulp inside your tooth to become irritated.
When your tooth is cracked the pulp sometimes becomes infected. If this happens, treatment to remove the pulp, also known as a root canal, may be needed to save your tooth.
Related Articles:
Toothache Causes: Why Do I have Tooth Pain and How Can I Get Relief?
The Number 1 Reason People Visit the Dentist: Tooth Pain!
Sometimes, a person may be disregarding the symptoms for quite a while. After all, it takes some time for this type of infection to take root. That’s why it’s important to schedule regular dental exam appointments.
In other cases, a person may show no symptoms.
IMPORTANT: if you’re experiencing tooth pain, call to schedule an appointment with Dr. Roberts immediately!!
If you’d like to learn more check out our article: Everything You Want to Know about Root Canal Treatment
Treatment depends on the size, location, and direction of the crack, as well as your symptoms. It is possible that your dentist will recommend no treatment at all, since tiny cracks are common and usually do not cause problems. You and your dentist can talk about the types of treatments for your tooth and decide on the treatment that is right for you.
Related Articles:
When tooth decay becomes severe, a root canal is often the first treatment option. However, if the infection persists after a root canal, extraction would be the next stage. This will stop the spread of infection. Risk of infection is another reason for tooth extraction. If your immune system is compromised, risk of infection may lead to extraction of a tooth.
More about tooth extraction from WebMD HERE.
There are two types of tooth extractions – surgical and nonsurgical.
However, often, gum tissue and bone may need to be removed to extract a tooth – this is surgical extraction. By taking an X-Ray and examining your tooth, your dentist or oral surgeon can determine whether simple or surgical extraction is needed. Before a surgical tooth extraction, you will be given a local or general anesthetic to numb the area. This will eliminate the pain while your dentist removes the tooth. Once the tooth is extracted, stitches are sometimes used to close the gum edges. Since surgical extractions are so common, there is nothing to worry about!
A tooth that is cracked can be painful. It also can lead to disease of the tooth. If you think you have a cracked tooth, remember to look for these signs and call our office to schedule an emergency dental appointment:
Our goal is to fix any dental emergency as soon as possible and get you back on your feet and out of pain. Accidents can happen, and quick action and knowledge of dental emergencies can easily save a tooth! Make sure to give us a call at Adams Dental as soon as you experience the signs of a dental emergency.
Learn more from this Dental Emergency FAQ.
These are clear signs of dental emergencies, due to injury:
While these signs are often correlated to a dental emergency, there are other signs and symptoms to also be aware of that aren’t as sudden or apparent. Symptoms such as prolonged pain, or a swollen jaw are major indicators that something isn’t right, even if they do seem more subtle.
Let’s review a couple of Healthy Smile Tips:
Remember to schedule your dental exam and cleaning, because it will help Dr. Roberts find and treat problems at an early stage. A cracked tooth can become a bigger problem if left untreated. If you think you may have a cracked tooth, please call to schedule an appointment at 913-296-8030.
Local dentist, Travis A. Roberts and his experienced, friendly team at Adams Dental Group offer affordable family dentistry and gentle dental care in the Kansas City, KS area. We have two locations that are conveniently located and offer appointment times Monday through Friday to meet your needs. At Adams Dental Group, we provide most dental services, from family and general dentistry to specialty procedures, including dental implants, dentures, endodontic or root canal treatment, teeth whitening, cosmetic dentistry and much more. We accept most dental insurance plans and offer affordable financial solutions for any budget. Call us at our West location (913) 296-8030 or our East location (913) 621-3113 to schedule an appointment.
Dr. Travis A. Roberts, DDS August 30th, 2021
Posted In: Emergency Dental Care
Tags: broken tooth, dental crown, dental exam, root canal
It is no fun to have tooth pain. But, did you know that pain or swelling in your mouth, face or neck can mean several different things.
But what makes having tooth pain or a toothache the NUMBER ONE reason you need to see your dentist? Let’s discuss the Top Ten Symptoms or reasons why you are experiencing tooth pain:
Dr. Travis A. Roberts, DDS April 28th, 2020
Posted In: Emergency Dental Care
Tags: broken tooth, dental appointment, gum disease, toothache
