7 Common Causes of Toothaches
Dental Associates of New England has been serving the greater Boston area for years, offering advanced general and sedation dentistry options to relieve pain, prevent anxiety, and enhance dental health. In fact, treating or helping prevent various forms of dental pain is pretty common for our entire team.
With dental pain in mind, we want to consider seven common causes of toothaches and what we can do to help treat these problems.
Toothache Cause #1 - Tooth Injuries
Whether it happens during contact sports, during a vehicle accident, or while you're innocently eating popcorn at the movies, tooth injuries can occur at any time. These incidents can lead to chips and cracks that are very painful.
When it comes to treating tooth injuries, the best options involve the use of dental restorations, such as fillings, inlays, onlays, and crowns.
Toothache Cause #2 - Tooth Decay and Erosion
Cavities and acidic erosion are another common cause of toothaches. Tooth decay refers to the damage done by dental plaque, while acidic erosion refers to the wearing down of tooth enamel due to an acidic oral pH. Both can lead to sensitivity, discomfort, and severe pain.
As with tooth injuries, the best treatment option is to use dental restorations to rebuild the damaged tooth structure.
Toothache Cause #3 - Dental Infections
Within each tooth is a hollow chamber containing a substance known as dental pulp. This soft tissue was essential for the nourishment and formation of the tooth and it leads from pulp chamber into the root structure. Infections of the dental pulp are usually the result of bacteria breaching the enamel and dentin layers of the tooth as a result of injury or decay.
The best treatment option for infected teeth is to perform a root canal, which extracts the infected tissue and prevents further problems.
Toothache Cause #4 - Gum Recession
Gum recession refers to the loss of gum tissue around the base of the teeth, which exposes more of the root structure of a tooth. This leads to tooth sensitivity, and it increases the possibility of tooth decay below the gumline and potential infection of the tooth.
The ideal treatment for gum recession is usually a soft tissue grafting procedure, which involves donor tissue or artificial gum tissue being sutured into place to rebuild the gumline.
Toothache Cause #5 - Teeth Grinding (Bruxism)
Teeth grinding is the gnashing, clenching, and shifting of the teeth when a person is asleep. The pressure and stress placed on the teeth can cause pain and soreness when the patient wakes up, and sometimes the grinding is so bad that tooth damage may occur.
Treatment of teeth grinding generally involves a combination of mouth guards, stress management techniques, and orthodontic care.
Toothache Cause #6 - Crooked Teeth and Poor Dental Alignment
When you have teeth that are crowded, improperly spaced, or poorly aligned, it can lead to a number of problems doing simple tasks, such as biting and chewing. The poor dental alignment can ultimately lead to toothaches as well as many other problems.
Treatment of crooked teeth generally involves orthodontic care, such as braces. More advanced oral surgery may be recommended in certain circumstances.
Toothache Cause #7 - Impacted Wisdom Teeth
Wisdom teeth are extra sets of molars that grow in as a person reaches his or her twenties. If the wisdom teeth grow inward or crooked, it can place massive stress on adjacent teeth, causing toothaches and even cracks to the tooth structure.
Since wisdom teeth are superfluous (i.e., patients can live just fine without them), treatment involves the surgical removal of these teeth.
Schedule a Consultation at Dental Associates of New England
For more information about treating and preventing toothaches, we encourage you to contact our cosmetic and restorative dentistry center today. The team at Dental Associates of New England will carefully assess your situation and then determine the ideal way of enhancing your overall dental health and wellness.