Dr. Jim Hallam’s Dental News
Suffering With a Painful Toothache? Visit Our Office As Soon As You Can!
Let's face it… there's almost nothing more painful that a raging toothache and it can come on without notice and knock you right off your feet.
If you've ever had one, then you know what we mean. While the best thing to do is to come to our office for treatment at once, we understand that's not always possible.
A toothache can occur for a variety of reasons, ranging from non-serious to possibly lifethreatening and most people can't tell the difference on their own. That's why you should book an appointment to see us as soon as possible.
Our primary objective during an emergency appointment is to relieve your pain and resolve your immediate problem. Because we consider our patients as partners in their dental health, we'll discuss your restorative treatment options with you as well as the expected result, so that you can make intelligent, informed decisions about your restorative dental care.
While nothing can substitute for prompt, professional dental care if you're suffering from a toothache, treating your discomfort at home (until you can get to our office) can at least buy you some time.
Rinse your mouth with warm salt water for soothing relief. Apply some Eugenol (oil of cloves) on a cotton swab directly to the affected tooth and gum tissue to numb the area. Try rubbing Sensodyne toothpaste directly on the affected tooth. Advil, Motrin, Aleve or Tylenol will also help with the pain.
Tooth decay is the primary cause of toothaches for most people. Bacteria that live in the mouth thrive on the sugars and starches in the foods we eat. These bacteria form a sticky film of plaque that clings to clings to the surface of the teeth. The acids produced by these bacteria are capable of eating through the enamel of a tooth, resulting in the development of a cavity. A sharp pain that shoots through the tooth is usually one of the first signs of decay; the shooting pain travels down into the root when pressure is applied to the tooth while chewing or biti ng. A throbbing pain can develop when the toothache is not treated in the earliest stages. The pain may spread into neighbouring teeth and impact bone around the tooth socket resulting in the need for root canal therapy to remove infection, after which the tooth structure must be restored to keep it strong and functional. Without professional dental treatment to resolve a toothache the individual can experience extreme pain and the condition may become very difficult to deal with. Moreover, left untreated, a toothache can also lead to dangerous dental problems later on because if tooth infection is not treated properly, there is a risk of blood poisoning because bacteria can spread into the blood stream. Small dental problems can sometimes turn into major dental issues quickly, so please don't ignore a toothache. We don't want anyone to be in pain, just call our office to be treated quickly. Yours for better dental health,