dental pain relief

Want To Know Why You Have A Toothache?

April 9, 2016

A toothache: that’s the last thing you need in your busy life. Whether it’s a minor pain that distracts you from the things you need to do or severe, miserable pain you simply don’t have time for those kinds of interruptions!

We’ve been treating toothaches in Carmel and surrounding communities for decades, and we’ve come to learn a thing or two about the most common kinds we see. Today we want to give you a quick rundown of toothache types and what they mean. Knowing what’s going on can really put your mind at ease and help you schedule an appointment in the appropriate time frame.

Short Duration Pains

Sometimes a pain comes and goes pretty quickly. That doesn’t mean they’re any less severe but it does tell us a lot about the kind of injury you may have.

Temperature Sensitivity

If ice cream, soup, soda, or coffee give you a little “zap” in the mouth it can be pretty alarming. If the pain goes away in less than 30 seconds it’s nothing too serious, thankfully. You should still plan on making an appointment, but the treatment is probably going to be routine.

Short duration temperature sensitivity is probably caused by a small spot of decay, mild gum recession, or a loose filling. We recommend using toothpaste made for sensitive teeth and avoiding the offending food as much as you can. If the sensitivity is due to decay or a loose filling it’s a simple fix. Gum recession can be a bit more complicated – try switching to a soft bristled brush and not being so rough on your teeth.

Pain When Biting Down

Does chewing or biting cause serious pain? There’s really only a few things that could be causing this, and all of them will require treatment as soon as possible. This kind of pain is hard to ignore and is miserable to endure, so don’t put up with it any longer than you have to.

In most cases of pain when biting there’s probably a really serious cavity, likely one that’s made it to the root of your tooth. Other problems can include a failing filling or a cracked tooth. Whatever the case we need to treat you!

Longer Lasting Pain

Long-term discomfort isn’t something you want to think about, but it’s always possible. Pain that lasts a while could have these kinds of causes.

Long Lasting Temperature Sensitivity

If that hot or cold food creates pain that lingers you probably have an infected root. We’ll need to see you as soon as possible – the symptoms will not go away on their own! Root canals are the only treatment for this kind of pain. Trust us – you’ll feel much better after your procedure!

Dull Pain In Your Teeth And/Or Jaw

If constant aches and pains in your teeth and jaws are bothering you there’s a good possibility that it’s related to your jaw joint, or TMJ. There are a lot of things that can cause TMJ disorders, and one of the most common is clenching, grinding, and gnashing teeth, also known as bruxism.

We can treat bruxism at Really Smile Dentistry, so don’t hesitate to make an appointment. A treatment as simple as a soft mouthguard could completely eliminate your pain.

Constant Aching Along With Swelling

Fever, swelling, aching, and sensitivity to touch all point to one thing: a dental abscess. These infections occur when an infected root spreads beyond the tooth and into the bone surrounding it. Abscesses are serious and need treatment as soon as possible.

An untreated abscess can spread to other areas, lead to secondary infections, and even destroy bone, gums, and teeth. Getting these dangerous infections under control isn’t optional, and waiting is only going to make the problem worse.

Immediate Treatment Is The Key!

When you come to us for a toothache our goal is always simple: eliminate your pain. We’ll never drag out a diagnosis or waste your time when you just want to get feeling better as soon as possible! If you have a toothache of any kind don’t hesitate to contact our Carmel office as soon as possible – the faster we see you the faster you’ll be feeling better!

You can request an appointment online or you can contact us by phone at 317-451-4050. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Don’t Ignore That Toothache!

November 5, 2015

Aches and pains come and go but a toothache is serious! Unlike a lot of other pains you experience a toothache is a sure sign that something is wrong. Left untreated dental pain can lead to serious secondary problems so make sure you’re seen at Really Smile in Carmel as soon as possible!

If you have a toothache that has lasted more than two days, is accompanied by a fever, is also swollen, Or hurts non stop then you need to be seen! Our goal is always to eliminate pain and help you feel better fast – we know how bad a toothache can be!

Toothache Causes And Treatments

By the time a dental health problem starts to hurt you’re already in trouble. We can help but it relies on quick treatment now!

Tooth Decay

Cavities are very common – over 90 percent of us will get one at some point in our lives! What isn’t as common is pain caused by tooth decay. When a cavity starts hurting it usually means one thing: the decay has reached the tooth root! Your roots are full of nerves and blood vessels and when bacteria reaches them it can start causing serious pain!

Treating an infected root is done in one way: a root canal. Don’t believe what people say about root canal, though. They relieve pain, save teeth, and prevent the spread of infection. Your mouth will be numbed so you won’t feel the procedure and most patients report immediate relief!

Dental Abscesses

There’s a reason why treating an infected root is important. When you don’t you can end up with an abscess. If you think the pain in your infected root is bad wait until you experience abscess pain! An abscess is an infection of the bone and soft tissue around a decayed tooth. It’s caused by the spread of infection from a root and can continue to grow without treatment!

If you have a fever or swelling along with your toothache you probably have an abscess. It’s important that we see you at our Carmel office right away! We’ll need to drain the abscess in order to remove the infection. In many cases we treat abscesses using root canals. This helps relieve the decay in the tooth that caused the abscess as well as giving us access to the abscess itself. When a root canal won’t work or the tooth is too far decayed we may have to extract your tooth. In very rare cases an abscess needs to be treated surgically.

Gum Disease

The pain associated with gum disease usually appears more in the form of tooth and gum sensitivity. In some cases the bacteria in your gums can lead to pain if a serious infection forms but this isn’t typical. If you’re experiencing temperature sensitivity, exposed sensitive tooth roots, red and inflamed gums, or sensitive gums that bleed easily you probably have gum disease.

We can treat your gum disease at Really Smile! We usually try conservative treatments such as root planing and scaling but if you have a serious or progressed case we’ll explore other options. We’ll work hard to ensure that your gum disease and pain are resolved!

Trauma

Damage to your teeth can take many forms. In the cases of a serious accident you can have noticeably fractured or broken teeth but in many other instances you can suffer from microfractures that may not be visible at all!

These small fractures are often the most dangerous because you won’t know why you’re in pain! That’s yet another reason why a toothache is so dangerous! Microfractures can lead to decay, infection, and lots of serious conditions! We can treat fractures and trauma easily at Really Smile. Whether you need a filling, crown, or other restoration we’ll have your teeth restored and your pain relieved in no time!

The Key To Success: Don’t Wait!

Whether your pain is minor or is making you cry we need to see you right away! If you’re experiencing dental pain call our office today at 317-451-4050! For non-emergency needs you can request an appointment by filling out our online form. We look forward to helping you!

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