Thanks to general dentistry practitioners, there are now many ways to deal with and manage toothaches. A toothache refers to pain in the mouth that is caused by something being wrong with a tooth. It is the body’s way of letting you know a tooth is damaged and it needs to be fixed.
A toothache can be caused by a variety of dental health issues. It is important for patients to know the causes so that they can seek out treatment quickly. The most common causes of toothache include a fractured tooth, an abscessed tooth or a decaying tooth. In addition, a damaged dental restoration like a filling or an infected tooth or gums can cause pain to a patient. Lastly, bad oral habits like teeth grinding and chewing gum often can be another cause.
Some toothaches come and go, while others are persistent. While patients are advised to go to a general dentistry practice to figure out the cause of the tooth pain, some toothaches require urgent dental treatment. The signs and symptoms that patients might experience include:
These symptoms are typically a good sign there is an infection. Treating this immediately is extremely important since the infection can spread to other areas of the body like the brain and heart. If left untreated, it can eventually lead to a life-threatening condition.
When a patient goes into a dental clinic complaining about toothaches, one of the first things the dentist will do is conduct a physical examination and go over the patient’s medical history. Diagnostic tests like X-rays might be taken to evaluate what is going on underneath the patient’s gums. A proper diagnosis allows the dentist to effectively treat the affected tooth.
How a dentist goes about treating a toothache depends on the cause. For example, if the patient’s toothache is being caused by an infected tooth, a root canal can be performed to treat the tooth. If the pain is being caused by a faulty dental restoration, the dentist can simply repair or replace it.
Many toothaches can be prevented by simply taking good care of the mouth. Good oral hygiene starts with brushing two times a day. One of these times should be right before bedtime since the mouth is more vulnerable to bacteria during sleep because less saliva — the mouth's natural cleaner — is produced. That means the bacteria and food particles that build up in the mouth during the day get to wreak havoc on teeth at night if a person does not brush before going to bed. Dentists also recommend flossing once each day and using an antibacterial mouthwash to fortify the mouth.
While there are many over-the-counter toothache relievers nowadays, you should never be content with just managing the pain. Most toothaches will turn into something worse if you ignore them for long enough. Reach out to your Milwaukee clinic so your dentist can permanently bring an end to your toothache.
Request an appointment here: https://www.esdmke.com or call Eastside Dental at (414) 888-4000 for an appointment in our Milwaukee office.
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