Top 4 Reasons for a Toothache
When your tooth hurts, it’s enough to get your mind racing. Could it be a benign thing like a bit of food stuck in the wrong spot or is it something more serious? Because tooth pain is often your mouth waving a red flag, our Greater Fort Lauderdale, FL, emergency dentists encourage you to see us for prolonged toothaches.
Here are 4 common causes of a toothache and how we can help.
Your Toothache May Be the Result Of:
1. Deep Set Tooth Decay
One of the most is a cavity. This is when the bacteria inside your mouth start to break down the structure of your tooth. For small cavities, our emergency dentists may recommend a tooth-colored filling. For more significant decay, they may recommend a dental crown or emergency root canal.
2. Intense Teeth Grinding and Clenching
Bruxism is a condition that causes you to grind and clench your teeth at night. What’s more, you may not even be aware that you’re doing it. Call us if you’re experiencing toothaches, jaw pain, headaches, jaw clicking, and other symptoms that could indicate bruxism.
If our emergency dentists discover further signs of bruxism, they may recommend that you wear a custom night guard while you sleep to protect your smile.
3. A Badly Chipped or Cracked Tooth
It’s important that you treat a chipped or cracked tooth as soon as possible, especially if the damage is severe. Once the structure of your tooth is compromised, bacteria may be able to enter the dental pulp. Pulp is the innermost chamber of your tooth that’s composed of nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissues.
A chipped or cracked tooth can definitely cause major pain. To restore the tooth, call our Plantation, FL, dental office to schedule emergency dental care.
4. Tooth Enamel Erosion
Enamel is the tooth’s outer protective layer and the strongest substance in the human body. In fact, tooth enamel earns a 5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. This means that the enamel protecting your teeth is as hard, or harder, than steel. Talk about impressive!
While enamel is strong, it’s not indestructive. For example, you may wear away the enamel over time if you consume a lot of sugar, neglect oral hygiene, drink a lot of soda, or grind your teeth.
Once the enamel is gone, it doesn’t grow back. It can also expose the underlying dentin which contains microscopic tubules going straight to your nerves. The result is often tooth sensitivity to heat and cold. Worn tooth enamel will also increase your risk of cavities and other dental emergencies.
Get the Urgent Dental Care You Need
Suffer no longer and come visit our emergency dentists serving Plantation and Greater Fort Lauderdale, FL, for timely treatment. We recommend calling us in the morning if possible to better ensure that we can take care of you on the same day. Call Barr Dental Group today at (954) 327-7400 or request an appointment online for non-urgent issues.