Have you recently had a nagging toothache? Perhaps you’ve ignored it or it’s simply gone away. It’s important to see your dentist in Kent if your toothache lasts longer than a couple of days, or if it’s especially severe. Make an appointment to see Dr Rik Trivedi even if the toothache seems to disappear as it will have been caused by some dental problem.
Common symptoms of the toothache include having a nagging or throbbing pain, or sometimes the tooth may only feel uncomfortable when pressure is applied. If the tooth is infected you might notice you have an unpleasant taste in your mouth, and the gum tissue around the tooth may be swollen. Other symptoms can include having a headache or even developing a fever.
Toothache can be caused due to damage to the tooth that has allowed bacteria to penetrate, and this may be from trauma or through decay. Bacteria can also enter the tooth if it has fractured, or if it has an old or leaky filling. Sometimes teeth can become infected due to certain habits such as bruxism or tooth grinding, as this damages the tooth through wearing away the protective layer of enamel.
Diagnosing and Treating Toothache
Your dentist will carry out a physical examination of the tooth. The treatment can depend on the cause of the infection and the extent of damage to the tooth. It might be that all you need is a filling, although sometimes the bacteria will have penetrated the pulp and root canal of the tooth so it’s quite possible you may need root canal treatment to remove the infection. If the pain occurred quite some time ago and seemed to subside then it’s quite possible that the nerves within the tooth have died due to infection. Unfortunately the bacteria can still continue to spread and may affect the bone surrounding the tooth. In these situations the tooth may need extracting, and you might end up requiring dental implant in Kent.
Early Diagnosis Can Save Your Tooth
This is why it’s so important to seek treatment sooner rather than later, and is one of the reasons why we recommend six monthly check-ups with Dr Trivedi or another of our Kent dentists. If you feel nervous about visiting the dentist then do ask us for help as there are lots of things we can do to help you feel more comfortable about receiving treatment.
If you’re overdue for a check-up, call us today to book an appointment on 01474 537191. Nervous patients will find lots of information about sedation dentistry on our website at www.parrockdental.co.uk and Dr Trivedi also has an e-mail course on overcoming dental fears.