Americans, in general, are great procrastinators. Busy work, family, and social schedules make it easy to put off things that should be done. People often battle between what is “important” and what is “urgent” because over packed schedules typically do not allow for both. Yet, it is inevitable that things will come up that demand attention – and a painful tooth is one of them. People have gotten themselves into a whole host of troubles by ignoring the first signs of a painful tooth. What you need to know is that a toothache is usually a symptom of a greater problem. Ignoring the symptoms will not make the issue go away, it will only make it worse.
As a whole, the body is a complex machine made up of many different working systems. The mouth is seen as one system, made up of 32 individual teeth that each have their own lifeline. While each tooth is an individually living feature of the mouth, all of the teeth work together to support one another, support the jaw bone, and give structure to the facial appearance. Ignoring an issue with a single tooth can compromise the health of the entire mouth, which is why it is so important to bring a painful tooth to your dentist’s attention.
Some causes of a painful tooth are relatively small and simple – at first. A common cause for a toothache is having a piece of food trapped between the tooth and gum line. Popcorn kernels are notorious for getting stuck and causing pain. While you may feel silly going to the dentist for a toothache only to learn that a popcorn kernel or some other bit of food was stuck in your mouth, this truly is a dental concern. If any trapped food is not removed, it will begin to rot inside the mouth. Rot leads to foul breath and infection, and infection leads to severe pain and severe dental issues.
A cracked, broken, or damaged tooth is another common cause for a toothache. Because each tooth has its own lifeline and root system, any damage to a tooth can cause discomfort. Most cracked and broken teeth can be repaired without significant dental work.
The most serious cause of a toothache is infection – and you will know when this happens because of the excruciating pain that comes with it. An infected tooth generally occurs because the above causes were ignored for too long. Most of the time, a severely infected tooth will require extraction and extensive dental work to repair the mouth.
Don’t put off treatment for a painful tooth. Contact Peninsula Cosmetic and Family Dentistry today!
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