If you’ve ever had a toothache, you know how quickly the pain can become unbearable. Your mouth has so many nerve endings and plays such an important role in our daily routines, it’s impossible to ignore a toothache for long. An experienced dentist is the only person who can accurately diagnose the cause of your toothache. Let’s review some of the most common causes of a toothache so you won’t be totally caught off guard by your diagnosis.
Tooth Decay
Tooth decay, more commonly known as a cavity, is the most common chronic condition that affects all age ranges. Tooth decay occurs when acid in your mouth erodes the enamel and bacteria is able to create a small hole in your tooth. Tooth decay ranges in severity from minimal to extremely severe. As a tooth decays, the nerve endings in the tooth can become more sensitive and result in a toothache.
Damaged Fillings
Fillings are placed on teeth that have experienced tooth decay. The decayed area of the tooth is drilled out, then filled in using a filling. Fillings can become cracked or otherwise damaged and cause a toothache. Damaged fillings usually occur randomly at no fault of the patient, but it is important to get them repaired quickly.
Infection
Infection can occur in your tooth or gums. When an infection occurs in the center of a tooth, an abscessed tooth occurs which is extremely painful. Infection in your gums typically comes on much slower and gets worse with time. Infected gums are caused by poor oral hygiene habits. Eventually, your gums may start to recede and expose your tooth past the usual gumline. This is as uncomfortable as it sounds, so toothaches are commonly associated with infected gums! Luckily, infected gums can be treated to restore the health of your mouth.
Broken Tooth
Broken teeth can happen for a wide variety of reasons. From the physical impact on the outside of your mouth that breaks the tooth to biting down wrong on something hard, and even clenching your jaw too hard, broken teeth are painful no matter how they happen. A broken tooth will likely cause a toothache and may even cause pain in the surrounding teeth. Broken teeth need to be treated by an emergency dentist ASAP if you want to save the tooth and prevent infection.
Contact Whiting Dental Arts
If you’re experiencing a toothache, contact Whiting Dental Arts today to see a trusted
emergency dentist on the North Shore of MA! We do our best to get you seen as soon as possible, so you don’t have to continue experiencing the pain. We can examine your teeth, locate the source of the pain, and provide treatment options to get you feeling better quickly. We can also assist with
education on how to better care for your teeth in the future to prevent toothaches! Give us a call at
(781) 595-0596 to make an appointment.
