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When To Visit Your Dentist With Toothache?
Toothache generally refers to pain both in and around the teeth and jaws and is often a cause of tooth decay. Often it comes and goes and sometimes the pain is made worse from hot and cold food and drinks. The pain can also vary. Sometimes being severe and other times fairly mild. It may also be worse at night when you’re laying down in bed. It’s also quite hard to determine just where the pain is coming from. Sometimes you can’t pin point whether the pain is in your upper or lower teeth. Pain from the upper teeth may feel as if it’s coming from your sinus region and pain from a lower molar may feel as if it’s coming from your ear.
When to visit your dentist
If your toothache hasn’t subsided after two days then as a dentist in Basildon we recommend that you visit us right away. The longer you leave it, the worse it’s going to get. If toothache is ignored and not treated then the pulp inside the tooth can eventually become infected. This may lead to a dental abscess which delivers severe throbbing continual pain. In cases like this you need to visit an emergency dentist. In Basildon, here at Felmores Dental we offer same days appointments for conditions such as toothache as well as for chipped or broken teeth, or teeth that have got knocked out in an accident.
Causes of toothache
Toothache happens when the inner pulp of a tooth becomes inflamed as a result of:
- Tooth decay
- Loose or damaged fillings
- Receding gums which may have exposed sensitive parts of the tooth root
- A cracked tooth
- Dental abscess
Besides inflamed pulp, other conditions can cause a similar pain to toothache, including:
- Ulcers on the gums
- Sinusitis
- Periodontal abscess
- Swollen or sore gums when a tooth is about to erupt, such as a wisdom tooth
Toothache treatments
The type of treatment that you’ll receive depends on the cause of the pain. If your toothache is caused by decay then your dentist in Basildon will replace the decayed area with a filling. If a filling is loose or broken, then it will be removed, thoroughly cleaned, and a new filling put back in its place. If the tooth pulp is infected then you may require root canal treatment. This involves taking away all of the infected pulp and inserting a special type of filling which will seal the tooth and stop it from becoming infected once more.
You can help prevent toothache in the following ways:
- Attend regular six month check-ups
- Cut down your consumption of sugary foods and drinks
- Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste
- Floss between your teeth last thing at night
- Stop smoking
If you’re ever in need of an emergency dentist in Basildon then please contact Felmores Dental Care. We’re a private and NHS dentist in Basildon committing to providing a comprehensive level of dental care for the entire family. Call us direct on 01268 726789 to make a six month check-up appointment or get in touch via our website at www.felmoresdentalcare.co.uk.