ALL THE MANY CAUSES BEHIND TOOTH PAIN
Hardly any experiences are as dreadful as suffering from pain in a tooth. That distress can be exacerbated when you don’t realize what’s causing your discomfort. Not all toothaches are the same, mainly because they can stem from many different causes. The site of your pain and the extent of your discomfort can help your dentist in Charlotte, NC to find the cause of your tooth pain, which will allow him or her to determine the most effective way to treat it. The extensively trained dental practitioners at DentalWorks – Carmel Village deal with tooth pain virtually every day. We perform fast, effective treatments to ease your symptoms and boost your oral health. We have created a list of typical triggers of tooth pain and how it might be treated:
- TEMPERATURE SENSITIVITY
Getting a piercing pain while eating or drinking something that is hot or cold is known as tooth sensitivity. While many individuals may have a little tooth sensitivity every so often, if it is a consistent issue or is causing extreme tooth pain, it can be an indication of a significant problem. Generally, tooth sensitivity is caused by an infection in the tooth, an abscess, or gum disease. Once your dentist finds the cause of your tooth sensitivity, they can go over treatment recommendations. If you experience less intense or sporadic tooth sensitivity, you should try a toothpaste purposely formulated for sensitive teeth.
- PERIODONTITIS
A chronic pain in your jaws and bleeding gums are likely indicators of periodontal (gum) disease. By the time you start to experience tooth pain, you are most likely in the most serious stage of gum disease, referred to as periodontitis. To rid the tooth of infection, gum surgery is normally performed to open and scrape out the gum pockets. A cycle of antibiotics is typically prescribed to deal with any lingering bacteria.
- CHIPPED TEETH
Fracturing a tooth isn’t uncommon. A tooth may be chipped or cracked playing sports, chewing something hard (such as ice), during an accident, and sometimes by bruxism. If extreme pain is noticeable, that is a sure red flag that a fracture has worked its way to the tooth’s interior, where the nerves are situated. Fairly often, however, the pain is delayed, only to begin long after the fracture occurred, once the damage has become more expansive. That is why it is crucial to have tooth chips and fractures treated by your dentist in Charlotte, NC quickly.
- BRUSHING AND FLOSSING TOO HARD
Strangely, many people today use too much pressure while brushing and flossing their pearly whites. This extra roughness can harm the gums and cause them to bleed quite easily. Over time, the gums can recede, which also produces pain and makes your teeth less securely anchored. At DentalWorks – Carmel Village, our dental professionals will teach you proper brushing pressure with a soft-bristled toothbrush to decrease your potential for gum recession.
- MISALIGNED OR IMPACTED TEETH
Aches and sensitivity in the jaws may happen when teeth are not straight enough, which can cause them to wedge in against one another. Teeth that are impacted could also lead to toothaches. To treat this pain, your orthodontist in Charlotte, NC may need to perform an orthodontic treatment to correct the alignment of your teeth or an extraction to remove an impacted tooth. Hopefully, you’re going to your dentist no less than two times per year for cleanings and oral health evaluations to allow them to catch dental concerns like impacted teeth or severe misalignment early, before you experience too much pain.
- GRINDING YOUR TEETH
Bruxism, most commonly referred to as teeth grinding, can produce soreness in your teeth, jaw, and neck, plus other surrounding muscles. People of all ages in Charlotte, NC who grind their teeth frequently do it while they are asleep or when feeling stress. Bruxism is done with the jaws rigidly squeezed together, so the top and bottom teeth are clenched against one another, which could cause pain, chips and tiny fissures, worn-down teeth, and head pain. Wearing a tailor-made night guard overnight is one of the most common methods to reduce the damage of bruxism on the teeth and jaw.
- DAMAGED RESTORATIONS
Ill-fitting or damaged restorations can cause fairly significant oral discomfort. Those who have a crown, bridge, or dentures should be visiting their dentist in Charlotte, NC at least twice each year to have the wear and fit of the restoration evaluated. Individuals who are feeling pain in or around the restoration need to make an appointment with their periodontist. An infection or other problem could have developed around the restoration, which will need to be dealt with to restore oral health.
- TOOTH DECAY
One of the most common triggers of an aching tooth is decay. When ignored, decay in the enamel of your tooth can extend into the soft inner pulp. When air and other irritants arrive at the nerves of your tooth, you will likely feel pain and heat and cold sensitivity. Depending on the amount of decay in the tooth, you could need a filling or root canal to remove the affected areas and maintain the tooth.
- ABSCESSED TOOTH
Besides impacting the interior of the tooth, ignored decay will often also reach the adjacent gum tissue. Known as an abscess, this could lead to a pulsating pain inside your tooth. The generalized nature of this pain will sometimes make it hard to pin point which tooth is the center of the pain. If you think you could have an infection of the tooth or gums, it is critical that you speak to a dentist in Charlotte, NC soon. Delaying treatment could result in the loss of the tooth, as well as parts of your gums and jawbone.
- ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCES
Irritation in the mouth and aching teeth are routinely caused by orthodontic devices, like braces and retainers that are used for tooth alignment. The soreness is typically worst shortly after the normal adjustments to the arch wire or if you move to another set of aligners. Any discomfort often disappears within a matter of days. OTC painkillers can also be used, if needed. If the pain doesn’t go away or becomes extremely uncomfortable, speak to your orthodontist or dentist to discuss whether it is possible to readjust the alignment appliance.
IT’S A BAD IDEA TO IGNORE TOOTHACHES
In addition to being extremely painful, toothaches are often inconvenient. Still, procrastinating about getting treatment is typically a terrible idea, since it can cause even worse, more significant dental issues in the long run. At the initial indication of tooth pain, we invite you to reach out to DentalWorks – Carmel Village and schedule an oral health examination at our office. Our highly trained dental professionals are passionate about helping patients in Charlotte, NC maintain their healthiest, most brilliant smiles.
