Don't ignore toothache...
Toothache is usually more than just a tooth ache, your tooth is telling you that there is a problem. A toothache is a dental emergency and can turn into a serious problem.
What causes a toothache?
There are many causes of dental pain:
- Decay will eat its way through the tooth an into the nerve
- Trauma may cause a nerve concussion
- Gum disease can irritate the tooth
- The recession of the gums can lead to the tooth becoming sensitive
- A fractured tooth may expose the nerve
- A dental abscess may have developed which may eventually lead to a facial swelling.
Tooth decay or gum disease cause damage to the tooth and allow bugs to enter into the nerve structure. These bugs and bacteria cause inflammation within the nerve structure. The nerve is a little brain within each tooth and this grey mater expands when it becomes inflamed. This is similar to when you get a headache, however, when the brain expands, the skull bones are also able to shift and allow expansion. As the tooth is a closed unit, i.e. it does not expand, the expansion from inflammation is acutely painful. Any of you that have experienced tooth pain will be able to vouch for that, I'm sure.
Untreated, a toothache will lead to an infected tooth. This will become an abscess and you will need root canal treatment. Therefore, it is always wise to treat a toothache whilst it is reversible.
How to get rid of a toothache?
Early diagnosis is the key. Often the early stages of tooth ache are reversible and something as simple as a filling can fix it. If left to get infected, more complex treatments will need to take place.
Home remedies do not work and consequently may actually make the problem worse. Painkillers are useful in masking the problem until you can see a dentist.
