4 Questions to Ask Yourself if You Have a Toothache
If you have a toothache that’s not getting better or is causing extreme pain then you should contact California Dental Group at (800) 407-0161 right away to have a dentist examine it. If it’s just started or seems to be relatively minor, then you can ask yourself these four questions to determine a possible cause and what you can do about it.
- Did I recently injure my mouth?
- Have my gums been giving me trouble?
- Have I recently been sick?
- Does doing one specific thing make the pain worse?
If you injure a tooth or your mouth, it can certainly hurt. This may be superficial pain like a bruise that will go away on its own. If the pain is serious, or it doesn’t go away on its own, then you may need a dentist to intervene. A severe tooth injury can result in the tooth becoming discolored or, in a worst-case scenario, the tooth dying and being pulled. This generally happens over time, so the sooner you have an injured tooth looked at, the better your chances will be of minor consequences.
The health of your teeth and gums is linked. If you have gum issues then you are likely to have tooth pain as well. If you feel that a toothache is coming on, check your gums. If they’re bleeding when you brush and floss, are swollen, are receding, or they’re discolored, then you should see your dentist. Likewise, if you seem to always have bad breath, this could point to an issue with your gums.
The best way to avoid gum disease and other gum issues is to make sure that you’re brushing twice a day and flossing daily. There are also mouthwash options on the market that work to improve gum health. And, of course, make sure you’re seeing your dentist for your biannual dental cleaning and checkup.
Illness can sometimes make tooth pain worse. The most common example is a person who has sinus issues. They will often have mouth and tooth pain when their sinus is infected. If you’ve been sick in the last week or two, then it may be the cause of your tooth pain.
Have you noticed that an activity makes the pain worse? For example, does it hurt most when you’re drinking something cold? Or when you’re drinking something hot? If so, that could be a sensitivity to food or drinks that are at extreme ends of the temperature spectrum. There are many products that can help reduce sensitivity.
Call us now to make an appointment with a dentist
If your tooth pain seems to have come from nowhere, if it’s particularly painful, or if it has been happening for a while and not getting better, then it’s time to contact California Dental Group at (800) 407-0161 for a dentist appointment. We can give you a thorough exam, find the cause of the pain, and offer solutions to the root cause.
