A toothache is a common oral health problem that can manifest as tooth sensitivity, swollen gums, and general discomfort. If you or a loved one experiences a toothache, it’s important to seek professional help as soon as possible. When left untreated, a toothache may lead to an infection or more serious issues.
Common symptoms of a toothache include:
If you have a severe toothache, you may also experience burning or electric, shock-like pain.
Toothache can have many different root causes, they could range from severe cavity, a cracked tooth or advanced periodontal/gum issues.
Dr. Mandy conducts a comprehensive oral exam and asks about your symptoms and gathers up history on lifestyle, including the foods you eat, the beverages you drink, and if you use tobacco. She performs and oral evaluation examining the tooth, the gum, the surrounding structures and checks for any signs of infection or inflammation.
Afterward, she takes digital X-rays to get a closer look at your tooth , the roots and the surrounding bone structure before she diagnosis your dental issue.
Treatment for a toothache depends on the underlying cause. Dr. Mandy might recommend:
In cases where the restorative dentistry cannot provide a predictable and definitive treatment Dr. Mandy might recommend extraction.
Dr. Mandy has a very conservative approach to dentistry so rest assured if there is any chance that she can treat a tooth with predictable results (filling, root canal or crowns) she will try.
Dr. Mandy will anesthetize the tooth, gum and bone before removing the tooth. She cleans the socket and irrigates it with cleansing solution. In most cases, she then placed bone grafting material to make sure the area is ready to receive a dental implant.
In rare occasions when patient has a severe dental access with severe swelling, Dr. Mandy will drain the infection and alleviate the severe pain. Patient is then placed on appropriate antibiotics and will return for follow up appointment in 5-7 days.
Root canal therapy addresses damaged or infected tooth pulp(nerve). The pulp is a soft substance that contains blood vessels and nerve tissues. It helps you feel sensations like hot and cold but isn’t necessary for a tooth to survive. If a tooth is fractured, or has a large cavity where the nerve is exposed a root canal therapy is the solution to alleviate the pain.
During root canal therapy, Dr. Mandy anesthetizes the tooth, then she removes the infected pulp tissue and fills the cleaned canals of your tooth with a material called gutta-percha. Oftentimes a crown is recommended after the root canal therapy to prevent dental fractures.
Common superficial oral lesions include candidiasis, recurrent herpes labialis, recurrent aphthous stomatitis, hairy tongue, and lichen planus. Recognition and diagnosis require looking thoroughly at your history and performing a complete oral examination. Knowledge of clinical characteristics such as size, location, surface morphology, color, pain, and duration are helpful in establishing a diagnosis.
Certain risk factors have been associated with each of these lesions, such as poor oral hygiene, age, tobacco use, and alcohol consumption, and some systemic conditions may have oral manifestations. There are some palliative treatments that can reduce the pain and duration of these lesions.
If you’re experiencing any type of dental pain or tooth sensitivity, schedule a toothache appointment at CityZEN Dental. Book a consultation online, or call the office today.