Tooth pain is one of the most unpleasant experiences that a human being can have. Your teeth are full of tender nerves and when something is wrong they ensure that you feel it. Nevertheless, not all pains and discomforts justify a rush to the dentist. But when does a toothache become just an irritation and when does it become a toothache emergency? The difference may save your tooth, and in other cases, your health, in general.
Causes of Tooth Pain
Before deciding how urgently you need care, it helps to understand common tooth pain causes. Tooth pain can arise from a variety of sources, ranging from mild to serious.
- One of the most frequent offenders is tooth decay (cavities). Once bacteria have worn away the enamel and get to the inner layers of your tooth, the nerve gets exposed and annoyed. The cavity can also result in slight, intermittent pain at its early stages and excruciating pain at its late stages.
- Fractured or cracked teeth may be misleading. You can experience acute pain during biting or an involuntary stabbing pang when you eat hot or cold food, but you do not notice anything out of the ordinary. A crack which runs towards the root may quickly turn into a dental emergency unless attended to.
- Dental abscess is one of the most serious causes of tooth pain. An abscess is a pouch of bacterial infection which develops at the base of a tooth or in the adjacent gum-tissue. The discomfort is usually intense, persistent and aching- and the infection may extend to the neck, or even the brain unless timely treatment is done.
The other frequent causes of tooth pains are gum disease (periodontitis), a broken filling or crown, tooth grinding (bruxism) and the wisdom teeth pushing against the neighbouring teeth.
Toothache Symptoms That Are NOT an Emergency
A slight sensitivity of the teeth when consuming sweets or when taking something cold is not something to worry about. It can be an indicator of premature decay or recession of the gums, but it can usually be allowed to be addressed during a regular check-up. On the same note, a minor ache which manifests after a new filling or dental procedure is normal and normally ends in a few days.
If you have a small chip which does not hurt and no sharp edges that are scraping your tongue, then it can also be postponed to a visit.
When Tooth Pain Becomes a Dental Emergency
Some symptoms suggest that tooth pain in cases of dental emergency requires urgent treatment. Even a day or two delay can aggravate the situation considerably.
- Intense, unremitting pain is a warning. When you can no longer control the pain by using over-the-counter pain medication and the pain is beginning to affect your sleep, eating and functioning, then consider it an emergency. Such pain is a good indication of an abscess, deep infection or severe nerve damage.
- Face swelling, jaw, or neck swelling and tooth pain require emergency treatment. Facial swelling may be the indication of an infection spreading, which can become life-threatening when it reaches the airway. This form of extreme toothache treatment cannot be postponed.
- A knocked-out or dislodged tooth is always an emergency that is time sensitive. When a permanent tooth is knocked out, it has a space of between 30 and 60 minutes to be successfully re-implanted. Keep the tooth wet – in milk or in between the cheek and the gum- and head to an emergency dentist Bayswater or closest dental clinic as fast as possible.
- Persistent bleeding, especially after an injury to the mouth or after extracting teeth also constitutes an emergency. The continuous bleeding can be the symptom of the damage of the surrounding tissue or the problem with clotting which requires a professional treatment.
- The absence of a lost filling or crown that exposes the inner tooth pulp may expose the vulnerable pulp to bacteria and heat. Although it is not necessarily an emergency, in case it is a painful experience or your tooth does not feel stable, same-day treatment is recommended.
- Another indication that the infection can be extending beyond the tooth is fever that comes along with the tooth pains. The presence of dental abscess and fever, swollen lymph nodes, or difficulty in swallowing necessitates severe treatment of toothache on the same day.
What To Do While Waiting for Emergency Treatment
When you have a toothache emergency and you are waiting until your appointment time, there are a number of steps that you can use to manage discomfort. Wash your mouth with warm salt water to debride and de-inflame. Pain can be treated in the meantime with over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen. A cold compress on the outside of your cheek in short intervals will help reduce swelling. It is advisable to avoid hot, cold and sweet food which will likely worsen the tooth.
It is not advisable to apply aspirin directly to the gum or tooth because it may burn the soft tissue chemically.
Bottom Line
This is one of the most significant lessons of dental health: dental emergency tooth pain seldom goes away by itself. Infections do not go away on their own, chipped teeth do not fix themselves and waiting too long can make what was a manageable issue a one that needs a lot of – and expensive – intervention.
In case you are having any of the warning signs mentioned above, follow your intuition and consult a professional as soon as possible.
At Bayswater dentist, we know that teeth do not observe office hours. We have skilled and caring staff who can deal with all types of dental emergencies, such as abscesses, fractured teeth, and lost restorations and trauma injuries. We also focus on the same-day appointments in urgent cases, and, therefore, you will never have to be left with the suffering longer than it would be needed. It could be an emergency case of a toothache, or you might have something that has been brewing over the days, but Bayswater Dentist will be able to give you immediate, professional treatment and have you smiling again in no time. Act now — call us now.