Toothaches don’t always seem serious, especially if they’re barely noticeable. Your tooth might be sensitive enough for you to notice, but not in enough pain to consider it a problem. Unfortunately, tooth sensitivity and toothaches are almost always signs of a problem, and most of them are problems that can become highly troublesome for the rest of your oral health. Today, we look at a few things your toothache might be a warning of, and why it’s necessary to seek treatment as soon as possible to alleviate it.
You have gum disease
Gum disease isn’t typically associated with your teeth, at least not at first. In fact, the condition develops in your gum tissues, not your tooth, and it progressively erodes the tissues and bone structure surrounding teeth, but not the tooth structure itself. Despite not directly affecting your tooth structure, gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss due to the destruction it causes to your smile’s supportive structures. In the beginning, the symptoms of this destruction can be less severe, including growing sensitivity in teeth whose roots are exposed by receding gum tissues.
You have a cavity in your tooth
Cavities are the product of tooth decay, which does directly impact your tooth structure and is also caused by harmful oral bacteria. Because it involves the erosion of your tooth structure, the sensitivity and aching that tooth decay causes can be more immediate than it is for the development of gum disease. It also means that the threat to your tooth structure is more immediate, and in some cases, a cavity can progress faster and erode more of your tooth structure than you realize. The longer it takes to address the cavity, the more extensive treatment you’ll need to restore your tooth and alleviate the related toothache.
Your tooth is damaged somehow
Many cases of tooth damage result from a dental emergency or accidental trauma, such as fractured or broken teeth. However, not all cases of tooth damage are obvious, or develop from an immediate cause. For instance, your teeth might wear down because you grind them too much, making it more likely that one or more of them becomes damaged under your bite’s pressure. If you can’t see the tooth damage, then feelings of sensitivity or a growing toothache may be an indicate that your tooth needs restorative treatment as soon as possible.
Learn what your toothache could mean
A toothache doesn’t develop for no reason, and in most cases, that reason can pose a serious threat to your oral health if it isn’t addressed promptly. To learn more, schedule a consultation with us by calling the office of Dr. Stuart Dexter in Prairie Village, KS, today at 913-362-8200.