10 Toothache Dental Emergency Causes Plus Diagnosis And (Our) Solution
A toothache can quickly become a dental emergency. The tooth pain is a warning of a dental problem – possibly by a tooth that has been weakened by decay or infection. Toothaches can be avoided by visiting the dentist regularly, but many people wait until they have a severe toothache before visiting a dentist and then it’s an emergency visit.
What Is A Toothache?
There are many “aches” to describe a toothache.
A toothache can be any pain (sharp pain or dull ache), extreme tenderness, soreness in or around a tooth or the jaw. A tooth may be extra painful when chewing or biting, and may be sensitive to hot and cold temperatures.
A toothache has often been described as a throbbing ache which affects both teeth, gums, and/or face.
What Causes A Toothache?
1. Tooth Decay – The most common toothache cause is a cavity, and the pain is usually sharp and intermittent. Once decay goes through the enamel, an acid eats away at the enamel and goes toward the middle layer or dentin of the tooth. This creates a sensitivity to cold, hot, and often sweets.
2. Cracked or Broken Teeth – Pressure from biting and chewing over years can weaken teeth. Biting down on hard objects (such as nuts, popcorn and hard candy) can cause a tooth or the filling or the root to crack and even break. This aching pain can be felt in the tooth and the gum area of the broken tooth.
3. Inflammation of Tooth Pulp – This is known as Pulpitus, where the nerve or center of the tooth has become inflamed. Pressure builds inside the tooth causing mild to extreme pain.
4. Sensitive Teeth or Receding Gums – Sometimes a tooth or teeth, or receding gums, become sensitive to cold or hot temperatures. Even brushing with a toothbrush can produce this sensitivity. In this case, your dentist may recommend a soft or medium toothbrush. He may recommend a toothpaste, such as Sensodyne, or he may treat your teeth with fluoride.
5. Abscess – An abscess is caused when an infection forms at the tip of the tooth root. The abscess is comprised of pus and causes inflammation of the tissues in the tooth resulting in throbbing, sharp pain. Common causes of abscesses are found in teeth that are untreated or that have advanced gum disease.
6. Gum Disease – Periodontitis and Gingivitis are both caused by an infection of the gums around the teeth. With the disease, Periodontitis, a gum abscess may occur on the outer tissue. With Gingivitis, the infection causes inflammation of the tissue. In either case, this infection can cause bone loss and deterioration of the gums.
7. Impacted Teeth – When teeth grow too close together and are prevented from moving into their proper place in the mouth, they are impacted. This happens most often with wisdom teeth, and can create pain and jaw soreness. The jawbone is unable to accommodate the extra teeth which remain stuck under the gum.
8. Wisdom Teeth – A toothache at the back of your teeth or mouth could be caused by impacted wisdom teeth or one wisdom tooth. In this case, your dentist will probably order an X-ray and could indicate the need for extraction of your wisdom teeth.
9. TMJ or Misaligned Bites – When a person’s jaw or teeth are misaligned, it is called Malocclusion. This indicates that the force or pressure on the teeth is not distributed evenly. This can cause an inflammation in the nerve of the tooth or teeth..
TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) and misaligned bites can cause clenching or grinding of teeth. Both grinding and clenching are detrimental, sometimes causing teeth to fracture, wear away the enamel surface of the tooth and often resulting in pain or toothache. Clenching and grinding aches can occur more during the night.
10. Sinus Cold or Infection – The sinus cavity is just above the upper jaw. A sinus cold or sinus infection is often felt in your upper teeth, but has nothing to do with your teeth. A dull, aching pain may be felt–but once the sinus infection is gone, the toothache goes away as well with no damage to the tooth or teeth.
How To Diagnose A Toothache?
A painful infection at the root of a tooth, or between the gum and the tooth, could result in the loss of your tooth without proper diagnosis or care. Your dentist will diagnose the cause and recommend the proper procedure to take.
1. Cold Air Test – Your dentist may use a stream of cold air blown directly on different parts of the tooth to learn exactly where the sensitivity is on the tooth.
2. Percussion Test – The dentist taps on the tooth or nearby teeth to find the exact location of the pain.
3. Biting Pressure Test – The dentist uses a biting stick to locate the precise area of the pain in your tooth.
4. X-ray – The dentist might take an X-ray of the tooth to check for the specific problem.
What Is The Solution For A Toothache?
Dental discount plans have a low cost solution for toothaches, especially if it’s a dental emergency. They offer a discount dental service that requires no waiting period. Typically, dental insurance requires a waiting period of 6 months to a year. If you have a toothache, you know you can’t wait long so using the discount services not only costs less, it can also be used immediately.
One common reason why people avoid seeing the dentist on a regular basis is the concern about finances. For this reason, discount dental plans have become a viable solution that costs less than dental insurance.
The cost for treating and filling a tooth varies, depending on the problem and procedure necessary to cure it. It typically costs much less for those with access to a discount dental plan. In many areas, discount dental plans can cut the price by more than 50%.
People choose a dental discount service for several reasons, beyond what they save on toothaches and dental emergencies:
- Cosmetic dentistry such as bleaching, bonding and implants are included.
- Orthodontics (dental braces) included for both children and adults.
- All ongoing dental / medical problems are accepted (except orthodontic treatment already in progress)
- No waiting period. You can go to the dentist immediately.
- All Specialists included – Oral Surgeons, Orthodontists, Endodontists, Periodontists and Prosthodontists.
- Members may change dentists at any time without having to notify anyone.
- No annual limitations
- No paperwork
- Instant savings
Dental insurance usually only allows $1,000 per year coverage so one toothache can often go beyond the annual limit, especially if it’s a dental emergency. Because of this reality, most people have come to realize that they don’t have much protection from the high cost of dental care with dental insurance alone.
It’s been said that with dental insurance you pay a lot each month and get very little in return, but with a dental discount service you pay a little each month and get a lot (by saving much more than the annual limit from dental insurance, not to mention the reduced monthly cost). Even people with dental insurance find that the extra protection can lower their expenses when their annual limits have been reached.
People all across the country just like you are convinced that this is the best value dental service available. Click the sign-up link below to see the plan choices and all the benefits!
Joining is as EASY as A,B,C...
- Find a dentist => Click Here
- Then click on the link below to get started.
After you join, your ID# will be e-mailed to you. Print your e-mail receipt and show it to your dentist.
Important: Once you become a member, If for any reason you decide that it’s not for you, you can cancel at anytime. We want you to be pleased with your membership so you will refer more people to this site.
Dental discount plans are available to help lower the cost of treating a toothache in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington DC, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.