3 Common Causes & When to See an Emergency Dentist

Toothaches are never fun to deal with. Although they are usually not life-threatening, they can cause you pain and discomfort and keep you from doing your daily routine or enjoying certain activities. However, in most cases, these aches indicate underlying problems with your tooth or gums, which require immediate attention.

If you are wondering about the common causes of toothaches, here are three that you should know about:

1) Tooth Decay

This refers to the damage of a tooth's structure and the formation of holes or cavities due to plaque buildup.

Without regular brushing and flossing, the carbohydrate-rich foods that are left trapped in your teeth will build up over time and become plaque. Know that plaque eats away at your tooth’s enamel and creates cavities in it. When left untreated, these holes grow larger and deeper, which causes you pain every time you eat and chew, and ultimately destroy the whole tooth.

2) Dying Tooth

It may not seem like it at first, but know that your teeth are alive, and they die when they stop receiving a fresh supply of blood. This happens when the nerves in the pulp of the tooth become damaged by trauma or injury due to decay.

Injuries like getting hit in the mouth or receiving a hard blow can cause severe pain that can indicate that one of your teeth has been broken. They can also cause your teeth to die quickly or slowly, depending on the trauma.

Decays cause one or two of your teeth to die after destroying the enamel and finally reaching the pulp. As a result, you’re likely to experience intense pain as well as tooth sensitivity and swelling of the gums near the dying tooth.

3) Teeth Grinding

Bruxism is another cause of toothache. It is a condition wherein you grind, gnash, or clench your teeth unconsciously. Prolonged and intense grinding of teeth can put pressure on the roots of your teeth, which causes pain.

When You Should See an Emergency Dentist for a Toothache

If you have been suffering from a severe toothache that has been around for more than a day and have been taking home remedies, but to no avail, you must seek immediate medical treatment by visiting an emergency dental clinic.

Your severe toothache can be a sign of an advanced cavity or an infected tooth, and without prompt care, your dental condition will deteriorate even further. Seeing an emergency dentist can help you get the professional treatment you need to alleviate severe pain and get to the root of your dental problem so that the toothache doesn’t come back.

Heading straight to your trusted emergency dental clinic also gives much-needed quick relief from the pain and discomfort that your toothache is causing. It’s a convenient option, and it saves you from the long waiting hours that you usually have to bear with when scheduling an appointment with your dentist. Furthermore, a trip to the emergency dental clinic gives you the peace of mind knowing that your dental problem is taken care of and that you no longer have to worry about toothaches getting the best of you.

Conclusion

You should never ignore toothaches because they are often signs of a more severe dental problem. If you have been suffering from pain and home remedies don’t seem to work, visiting an emergency dental clinic is a smart move, especially if you cannot reach your dentist. They will be able to attend to your dental emergency and give you proper treatment promptly.

If you are looking for an emergency dentist in Edmonton and Calgary, we’re the ones for you! We have a wide range of operating hours, meaning that you should always contact us immediately should a dental emergency arise, and our fast and friendly services will have you back in good shape. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help!