Toothache

It goes without saying that your oral health is comprised of more than just your teeth, and in fact, each area must be considered and cared for in order to pave the way for a healthy, lifelong smile. This includes your gums, tongue, and other structures and tissues in addition to your pearly whites. Indeed, falling short in any one category may be enough to kickstart a serious infection, and before you know it, you may be facing the possibility of losing a natural tooth. In today’s blog, your North Hollywood, CA dentist explains what happens when tooth decay is not treated early, and how you can take better care of your natural structures.

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When it comes to a toothache, it can seem like the best indication of how serious of a problem it is involves how much the tooth hurts. If it’s only a minor case of sensitivity, or if the discomfort ebbs and flows without getting too severe, then it might not seem like much of a threat. However, it probably is, and whatever is causing it could do more extensive damage to your oral health than you realize by the time it does get more severe. Today, we examine why a toothache is always something to worry about, and why the best thing you can do for it is to have your dentist thoroughly examine your teeth to diagnose and treat it.

There’s a cause for it, even if it’s minor

If a toothache isn’t that severe, then it might not concern you to know exactly what’s causing it. The reason behind it might not seem important until the pain itself is obviously a problem, and by that point, the threat and damage to your oral health can be severe. For example, a minor case of tooth sensitivity could indicate the formation of a cavity in its structure, or the expose of your teeth roots due to gum disease. It could also indicate unseen damage to your tooth, which can also grow worse along with the pain the longer it’s left untreated.

Why it’s hard to diagnose on your own

Because of the many different potential reasons for a tooth to start hurting, it’s nearly impossible to accurately diagnose the cause of yours if that cause isn’t obvious (such as damage from accidental trauma). Determining the cause of your toothache is the first and most important step to treating it, and to mitigating the threat that it indicates. Because of this, it’s important to schedule a visit with your dentist as soon as possible if you feel any level of sensitivity in one or more of your teeth.

How to find real relief from it

After your dentist accurately diagnoses the cause of your toothache, you can work together to find the appropriate solution for alleviating it. This could require one of several different types of dental treatment, depending on the cause, such as filling a cavity or repairing damage to your tooth structure. The sooner you address the cause of your toothache and restore your tooth and oral tissues, if necessary, the sooner you can find lasting relief and protect your long-term oral health from it.

Learn how to treat your toothache

When you have a toothache, its seriousness isn’t just about how much it hurts, but also the reason why it hurts, and the threat that it can pose to your oral health. To learn more, schedule a consultation by calling Modern Smile in North Hollywood, CA, today at 818-763-9353. We also proudly serve patients who live in Burbank, Toluca Lake, and all surrounding communities.

Many people realize that healthy teeth shouldn’t hurt, but if one or more of their teeth start to feel sensitive, they might not consider visiting the dentist immediately to find out why. When tooth sensitivity is minor, it doesn’t seem serious, especially if you don’t understand the reason behind it. Yet, in most cases, what starts as minor sensitivity can quickly become much more intense discomfort, which can indicate the problem behind your toothache has also gotten worse. Today, we take a look at what it could mean when your tooth starts to hurt, and why it’s important to take it seriously even if it seems minor at first.

Your toothbrush misses more than you know

When you brush and floss healthy teeth, they shouldn’t feel anything besides the pressure of the cleaning. This is because the highly mineralized tooth enamel surrounding them is the most resilient substance your body produces, and it protects your more sensitive main tooth structure from things that could irritate it. The point of cleaning your tooth enamel is to remove the buildup of oral bacteria that forms on it throughout the day. If you miss enough plaque with your toothbrush, the bacteria within it can begin to erode your healthy tooth enamel, making it weak and making your teeth more sensitive.

Your tooth is starting to get a cavity

The erosion of your tooth enamel is the first step in the process of tooth decay. If it isn’t stopped in time, it can lead to the formation of a cavity in your main tooth structure as the decay begins to erode it, as well. The development of a cavity may cause more intense tooth pain than the first stages of enamel erosion, and many people who develop one are prompted to visit their dentists because of it. Fortunately, the start of a cavity has a minimal impact on your healthy tooth structure, and addressing it promptly can help you restore your tooth and alleviate your toothache in a minimally invasive manner.

Your gums are exposing your tooth’s root

Your visible tooth structure, which is protected by enamel, can become compromised if its enamel becomes too weak. However, the roots of your teeth don’t share the same outer coating of protection and rely, instead, on the gums tissues that surround them. If your gums start to recede, which could be a sign of gingivitis (the first stage of gum disease), then the exposed tooth root can become increasingly more sensitive to food, beverages, oral bacteria, and more. The further gum disease progresses, the more of your tooth’s root may be exposed, and the condition may lead to tooth loss as a result.

Treat the cause of your toothache

When your tooth starts to hurt, you may need your dentist’s help to precisely diagnose the reason why, and to find the most appropriate treatment to alleviate it. For more information, schedule a consultation by calling Modern Smile in North Hollywood, CA, today at 818-763-9353. We also proudly serve patients who live in Burbank, Toluca Lake, and all surrounding communities.

Tooth sensitivity is a common dental ailment, which is why home remedies and over-the-counter (OTC) solutions for toothaches are so common. However, in most cases, such solutions only offer temporary toothache relief, if they offer any relief at all. That’s because the problem behind the sensitivity is often more serious than a simple remedy can cure. Fortunately, patients in North Hollywood can find permanent solutions to their toothaches by allowing their dentist to diagnose and treat the causes of them, which often involves one of these three common dental procedures.

Tooth-Colored Fillings

Cavities are the most common chronic tooth issue, and therefore, they’re one of the most frequent causes of toothaches. If your tooth hurts because tooth decay has caused a cavity to form in it, then you may require a tooth-colored filling to remove the infection and restore the tooth’s affected structure. Once in place, the filling will seal away the sensitive parts of the tooth and stop oral bacteria or food particles from irritating it.

Root Canal Treatment

Some cases of tooth decay can become too invasive for a tooth filling to fix, and relieving the more intense discomfort of internal decay could require root canal treatment. The procedure removes the bacteria and infected tissues (including the nerves) from the tooth’s pulp and root canal. Then, much like a filling procedure, your dentist will fill and restore the tooth’s inner structures with a strong, durable, and biocompatible material.

Bruxism Appliances

Besides tooth decay, bruxism (chronic teeth-grinding) is another common cause of tooth sensitivity. If you have bruxism, then the unrelenting pressures of grinding your teeth can wear down their protective enamel, and eventually, their main structures. The more severely your teeth wear down, the more sensitive they’ll become, though your dentist can help you stop grinding your teeth with a custom-designed bruxism appliance.

Find the Best Treatment for Your Toothache

The most effective treatment for your toothache will depend on it’s cause, but addressing it as soon as possible is always the best option. For more information, schedule a consultation by calling Modern Smile in North Hollywood, CA, today at 818-763-9353. We also proudly serve patients who live in Burbank, Toluca Lake, and all surrounding communities.

If you’ve dealt with a toothache for a while, then you may have noticed that it’s growing more frequent and severe as time goes by. Even if you’ve been able to find temporary relief with home remedies here and there, the pain continues because there’s an underlying cause behind it. That may include damage to your tooth structure, a developing tooth infection, exposure of your teeth roots, or any number of other potential factors. Until the specific cause is addressed, you won’t be able to effectively relieve your toothache.

What Kind of Toothache Is It?

The most common forms of toothaches are caused by some sort of disturbance to your tooth structure. For instance, if your tooth is cracked or fractured, then the nerves might be exposed, leading to intense discomfort every time you bite and chew. If your tooth is starting to grow weaker because its enamel is eroding, then the aching might not be so prominent at first, but will grow more severe as the enamel becomes compromised. In some cases, aching or sensitive teeth can be the result of your teeth roots being exposed due to gum disease or recession.

Treatment and Relief Options

Despite the many possible causes of a toothache, the good news is that they all can be addressed with appropriate care and treatment from your dentist. For instance, if your tooth is fractured, then it can be fixed with a crown, which restores the tooth and seals away its sensitive structures. If your enamel is compromised, then you may be able to strengthen it, or to treat the cavity that has formed before it grows more severe. For patients with gum disease, preventive treatment and laser periodontal treatment can help restore their healthy gums and the protection around their sensitive teeth roots.

Stop Suffering from Chronic Toothaches

Toothaches typically indicate a dental issue that only your dentist can address, so relieving yours may require professional dental treatment. To learn more, schedule a consultation by calling Modern Smile in North Hollywood, CA, today at 818-763-9353. We also proudly serve patients who live in Burbank, Toluca Lake, and all surrounding communities.