Your Wisdom Teeth Questions AnsweredYour Wisdom Teeth Questions Answered

Most people who experience cavities or gum disease will notice a distinct, gradual increase in discomfort over the months or even years. However, in some cases, people will go from having seemingly normal dental health to suddenly experiencing extreme pain in one or more teeth. If you're going through this problem, you should get dental help right away, and here's why.

Pain Means Nerve is Under Attack

Sudden pain in a tooth means something is happening deep inside the tooth, where the nerves reside. These nerves are responsible for sending signals to your brain, like pain, cold, and heat. They're intended to help protect your teeth from damage, but if you're experiencing excruciating pain, it likely means something has damaged the nerve. This can come from internal tooth decay, root death, or periodontal disease. If you're going through this kind of pain, whether your tooth is saved or not depends upon how quickly you act.

Root Canal

When you go to an emergency dentist, they will examine and x-ray your mouth to find out what's going on beneath the surface. If damage to the tooth's internal structure is found, a root canal is the most likely course of action.

Root canals preserve the tooth itself while removing a damaged or infected root. Most nerves in the tooth reside in either the pulp or the root, so this will solve your pain problems. While root canals are often dreaded by people, they're actually one of the best ways a dentist can protect your dental health and prevent you from having to spend more money on a tooth replacement.

Tooth Loss

Unfortunately, if you wait too long, tooth loss may be imminent. By the time disease or decay has gotten deep enough in the tooth to upset your nerves, chances are it's just days or weeks away from completely destroying the tooth.

If you don't get dental help quickly enough or the damage is already done, extracting the tooth may be necessary. In this case, you can either have the tooth pulled and go without a replacement, or you can talk to your dentist about having an implant put in to replace it.

Tooth loss is something that no one should go through when they have adequate access to dental care. If you ever experience sudden pain in a tooth, contact an emergency dentist like the one at Centre Family Dentistry right away. Waiting to see your regular dentist could mean allowing the condition to progress to the point where it can't be reversed. Seek help now and save your tooth.