What Causes a Toothache and What to Do when you Experience It

If you have had a toothache, you know how painful it can be. In fact, it can get very painful that you might not be able to work or sleep. There are many causes of toothache. For instance, you can usually feel pain if you have gum disease, especially if it has advanced. In some cases, you can experience referred pain from a sinus infection which can make your teeth along the upper arch ache. However, the most common cause of tooth pain is associated with the nerve deep inside your tooth. In such case, you will experience unbearable pain that requires an immediate visit to one of the family dentists near Lake Jackson, Tx. Your dentist will usually require you to have a root canal.

Understanding the Tooth Structure

Deep inside your tooth, a nerve is protected by the enamel and dentin of your tooth. The enamel is the hard outer surface while the dentin is the middle layer. You could experience a toothache when the nerve starts to die or is already dead. This takes place because of bacterial infection. Bacteria can get into the nerve because of serious tooth decay, advanced gum disease, and a deep tooth crack or a traumatic facial blow that injures the tooth.

How to Diagnose a Toothache

If you have a toothache, you must call your dentist for an appointment. When you visit the dentist, they will carry out an X-ray to see the affected tooth’s interior. Using the X-ray image, they can make a diagnosis and recommend the right course of treatment.

Root Canal Therapy

In case your X-ray shows that the painful tooth is infected, you need to have a root canal therapy. This procedure eliminates the pain of an infected tooth so that you can avoid extraction. Modern anesthetics and sedation should make the procedure painless. After you are comfortable, your dentist will make a small access hole in the tooth through which the infected nerve tissue is removed. They will insert a biocompatible substance and seal the tooth. Eventually, your dentist will put a dental crown over the tooth to protect it and restore its proper form and function.

Even if you know what’s causing your toothache, you need to get proper evaluation at your dentist’s office. When left untreated, it can result in life-threatening concerns and can spread throughout your body. Make sure to follow up with your regular dental care appointments every 6 months to avoid these more serious situations. Always have an open, honest discussion with your dentist so you can commit to keeping your mouth health and free of pain for life.