You feel a sharp, throbbing pain in your mouth. Worst of all, you can’t think, eat, work or even talk – the pain is just that bad!
Obviously, this is the absolute worst-case scenario – most times, a toothache won’t be anywhere near that bad.
Of course, just because the pain isn’t debilitating means that you can afford to completely ignore your toothache – in fact, this way of thinking can be extremely dangerous!
Ignoring a low-level toothache doesn’t mean that the problem will eventually fade away on its own. In fact, by doing so, you could be making your predicament even worse.
More importantly, it could also make it much more expensive to fix!
The moment you realise you’re suffering from a toothache, you need to touch base with an emergency dentist in Armadale.
Fail to do so, and you could make your problems much, much worse…
Did you know: toothaches can be deceptively dangerous
Even a minor toothache has the potential to cause much worse pain further down the line!
You might think that a toothache is only a minor dental problem that will subsides on its own, and that it doesn’t need necessary attention.
However, ignoring tooth pain doesn’t solve the underlying problem – by leaving it, you’re letting the issue fester!
And that in turn can lead to a whole host of issues, such as:
- Sinusitis
- Impacted tooth
- Abscess
- Tooth loss
- Gum disease
- Heart disease
- Lung cancer
Granted, some of these are pretty extreme edge cases – that said, they aren’t impossible.
As such, we recommend getting in touch with an emergency dentist for toothaches – no matter how mild they seem.
The root causes of toothaches
Toothaches are usually defined by pain.
But what causes said pain?
Truth be told, there are many different potential causes of a toothache – in our Armadale dentist’s experience however, issues such as tooth and gum Infection or trauma are the most common root causes of a toothache.
An especially common issue we see is infection as a result of damage to the tooth or tooth decay.
Under normal circumstances, the enamel of your teeth forms an impenetrable barrier – bacteria is unable to get through and infect the dental pulp inside your teeth.
If your tooth is cracked or has suffered from tooth decay however, the enamel is no longer able to protect your dentines, allowing bacteria to get in and infect your teeth (and simultaneously cause a lot of pain while they’re at it).
And this in turn can lead to a whole host of unforeseen problems (which is the reason why our Armadale dentist keeps reiterating how toothaches can be dangerous!)
Deceptively dangerous: how an untreated toothache can lead to worse problems
Any infection left untreated can eventually spread into your bloodstream through the infected pulp of your tooth. The infection on the pulp of your tooth often affects the nerves, tissues, and blood vessels.
When this happens, it won’t just be pain that you’ll have to contend with – you’ll also have to deal with swelling, pain, abscess, bad taste and even fever.
Fewer people know that such bacterial infection can even lead to infection in the autoimmune system that may further escalate into sepsis – something that, according to some research, takes five times as many lives as heart attacks and strokes.
Toothache prevention
As our emergency dentist in Armadale always says, prevention is better than cure!
Fortunately, preventing toothaches – and their associated problems – can be simple, provided you make some changes to your habits.
Observe proper dental hygiene
As we mentioned above, many toothaches are the result of tooth decay – something that in turn is often caused by poor dental hygiene.
Luckily, following simple habits like brushing twice a day and flossing can go a long way towards reducing this risk!
Eat foods that are low in sugar and carbohydrate
Bacteria feeds on sugar AND some carbohydrates. By reducing your sugar intake and certain carbohydrates, you starve bacteria of food, limiting its ability to spread throughout your mouth.
You are what you eat. If you want to take care of your oral health, choose to eat foods that are low in sugar as such foods often promote plaque growth and cavities.
Wear a mouthguard
If you play contact sport (or even non-contact sports), we strongly recommend wearing a mouthguard.
Not only is breaking a tooth painful, but it can also dramatically increase your risk of a toothache – luckily, our restorative dentist in Armadale corrects damage and trauma, restoring your smile using a range of safe (and fantastic-looking) techniques.
Schedule a dental visit regularly
Our team doesn’t just offer emergency dentistry – we also look after more routine matters too.
During your regularly scheduled check-up, our team can identify early signs that something is amiss, saving you from a potentially worse issue further down the line.
We’ll also help you correct bad habits and make changes that can protect you from many of the long-term issues that can arise over time if you don’t take good care of your teeth.
Our dentist in Armadale can also recommend different dental treatments such as restorative dentistry if our assessment finds that the issue needs more drastic measures.
Help, I have a toothache!
Get help from an emergency dentist in Armadale
At Dental Care Group, we believe that if you’re suffering pain, it’s a dental emergency.
In addition to the long-term issues, a toothache is plain uncomfortable and unpleasant – if you’ve been enduring a toothache, we recommend booking an appointment with your Armadale dentist right away.
Give us a call before midday for an emergency appointment (even on weekends), and our dentist will guarantee that your issue is looked at before the end of the same business day.
Our state-of-the-art dental clinic in Armadale offers a wide range of cutting-edge solutions that can help resolve the pain that accompanies an aching tooth, and helps resolve the long-term issues that can arise thanks to an untreated toothache.
Suffering from dental pain? Look after your teeth – and your overall health – by booking an appointment or calling (03) 9509 1500 today.
