Your Meteghan SureSmile Provider
If you're experiencing pain in your teeth or gums, get in touch with your dentist immediately to schedule an appointment. Learn more from our Meteghan dentists as they explain some potential reasons for your pain and what you can do until you get to the dental clinic.
Causes of Tooth & Gum Pain
Regardless of the severity of the toothache, you should always have a dentist diagnose its underlying cause as soon as possible. Usually, the upkeep of good oral hygiene habits can help prevent toothaches or discomfort. However, many potential factors can cause tooth or gum pain, including the following:
Cavity/Tooth Decay
Although cavities often advance gradually, pain associated with them can occur suddenly. This should be taken care of as soon as possible to prevent an infection.
Wear, Trauma or Injury
Whether you grind your teeth in your sleep and gradually wear them down, or you sustain an injury in some more immediate way, a fractured or damaged tooth can be very painful. Don't 'tough it out' or ignore it – visit your dentist for treatment. Your dentist may recommend a filling, crown or bonding.
Grinding may also cause issues with teeth sensitivity. Ask your dentist for tips on how to break this harmful habit.
Impacted Wisdom Teeth
When wisdom teeth erupt, they can exert pressure on the neighbouring teeth due to a lack of room, or due to coming in misaligned. Impacted wisdom teeth often When wisdom teeth become impacted, they often become quite painful due to the pressure they inflict on the surrounding teeth, or a developing infection. Impacted wisdom teeth can also lead to secondary issues including tooth damage and crowding if there isn’t enough space for them to erupt properly.
Abscessed Tooth
Untreated, bacterial infections in the tooth can lead to pockets filled with pus. Aside from creating quite painful sensitivity, abscesses have the potential to develop into a more serious, or even life-threatening, condition.
Gum Disease
Gum disease (periodontal disease) varies in its severity, starting with the early stage of gingivitis and progressing to moderate and severe. Early on, your dentist may treat your gingivitis with a procedure called scaling and root planing – the process of removing plaque buildup from the gum line.
For advanced or severe periodontal disease, your dentist may recommend a root canal, antibiotics, and/or other oral surgery.
Other Potential Causes
Some people experience tooth sensitivity without there necessarily being a serious underlying issue.
Those with tooth sensitivity and Using toothpaste made for sensitive teeth may help. You should also attempt to avoid eating extremely hot or cold food and drinks until the sensitivity goes away.
If you notice ongoing sensitivity (for more than a couple of days), this may be cause for more serious concern, such as gum recession, and you should see your dentist.
Sometimes it may also be the case that the cause of your tooth pain is outside the mouth. Sinus infections, vitamin deficiencies, headaches or colds can cause similar symptoms to that of a toothache.
It is still recommended to schedule an appointment with your dentist; ignoring or misdiagnosing the pain yourself could lead to serious issues. Much of the time, dental pain won’t stop on its own and should be assessed by your dentist.
What Helps Tooth Pain?
While this may seem obvious - see your dentist! By booking an appointment, you can be examined, diagnosed, and treated.
In the meantime, there are a few home remedies for tooth pain you can try. Applying an ice pack or taking over-the-counter pain medication can help to reduce pain and inflammation. In some cases, a lukewarm salt water rinse can also help soothe and relieve tooth pain.