One of the contributing reasons for so many dental emergencies in the United States is that people wait to get help. Sometimes, you might need dental fillings instead of relying only on self-care and over-the-counter pain medicine. Here are 3 reasons your dental pain is so bad.
Cavities
Cavities occur as a result of the tooth decay process, usually appearing as holes or pits in the teeth that will grow in size and shape without dental fillings. The tooth decay process begins with a plaque that’s left on the teeth from sugary foods and starches. The plaque is sticky and if it’s not removed through proper cleaning, plaque will degrade the teeth unless the cavity is properly filled.
According to the MayoClinic, cavities are common, producing about 3 million cases a year in the United States. The pain from cavities can resemble a shooting, throbbing, pulsating, or deep aching pain. The pain gets worse when you bite down on the affected toot. If you’re ignoring cavities, the holes get bigger, the inner layer of the tooth is exposed, and the pain is worse.
Dental abscesses and infections
Due to a bacterial infection, a small bump may form near your gum that’s filled with pus and causes tenderness, swelling, or aching pain that may spread to the jaw and head. While in some cases, these infections may not cause crippling pain, if not treated, the infection can spread to the rest of the body and even be life-threatening.
Poking, playing with, or rubbing the dental abscess will irritate it further and cause the pain to get worse. If the excruciating pain doesn’t stop you from popping your abscesses, the trauma will, and the pus that’s inside the abscess can spread through other teeth and the gums. In some cases, the bacteria can even spread to vital organs.
Dental injuries from contact or accidents
Sports accidents, accidents related to chewing, or contact injuries can cause severe pain due to the trauma of the injury. Actual injuries can occur due to recklessness or an unfortunate accident. But the result is often chipped teeth, fractures, and serious damage, resulting in pain and a need for treatment right away.
According to the American Dental Association (ADA), tooth fractures that cause soft tissue trauma are one of many reasons you might need emergency dental services. Thankfully, modern medicine may prevent people from having to suffer through dental injury-related pain for too long. Nonetheless, if your teeth have been injured in an accident, leaving the problem to ice and a rag may only make the pain worse.
You shouldn’t have to put up with dental pain. However, some people have so much dental pain because they wait to get treatment for common issues like cavities and dental abscesses. But if you’re feeling dental pain, there’s a clear reason why. In the future, you now know that finding relief from dental pain starts with a visit to your local dentist.
