Is It Time To See Your Emergency Dentist For Oral Pain?
When it comes to your health, it’s always best to err on the side of caution. When you suddenly feel pain in your mouth, do you want to know whether you need to visit your emergency dentist in Yorkville?
In this blog, we’ll help you identify the possible causes of your oral pain based on your symptoms. Of course, this information is no replacement for a medical professional. But you may be able to identify symptoms that are signs of needing emergency dental care.
As well, knowing what your symptoms are and how to describe them improves your ability to better communicate the problem to your emergency dentist at Dr. Judy Sturm & Associates. This makes it easier for your dentist to diagnose the underlying problem sooner.
Consider that 9 out of 10 diseases cause symptoms in the oral cavity. If the underlying cause of the pain in your mouth is something more serious, professional diagnosis and treatment will identify the problem early on. As with most health problems, the sooner they are identified and treated the better they can be treated.
What’s Causing Your Oral Pain?
A dental injury or disease isn’t always as easy to identify as a chipped tooth or a cut. It’s often hard to tell what may be causing the pain, especially since it isn’t easy to inspect the inside of your own mouth. It’s easier to identify dental pain when you have the appropriate language to describe it. Oral pain can be separated into gum, tooth, and jaw pain.
Causes Of Gum Pain
Feeling pain or general discomfort can have several causes. Many of these are linked to gum diseases like gingivitis. If your gums are bleeding, you may be brushing or flossing too hard. If you realize that you are a bit too aggressive with your oral health care routine, you don’t need to visit an emergency dentist in Yorkville. Instead, brush and floss more gently and your gums will heal in time. Other causes of pain can be caused by outside sources like tobacco use or hormones.
If the pain in your gums is severe and hard to bear, it may be caused by a tooth abscess or other dental problem. Make an urgent appointment with us – your emergency dentist in Yorkville.
Causes Of Tooth Pain
To uncover the cause of tooth pain, it helps to identify the severity of your toothache. Start by considering whether the condition is chronic or acute. Do you experience toothaches regularly after eating ice cream or having cold drinks? This is chronic pain, and a likely sign of sensitive teeth. This is worth telling us, but not an emergency situation.
That being said, pay attention to the pain. If the condition worsens, an emergency dental appointment may be necessary.
Acute toothaches are always a cause for concern. Generally speaking, a sudden and severe toothache is emergency worthy. Bear in mind that TMJ/TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder), sinus infections, or ear infections can also produce toothaches as a symptom. If you are experiencing symptoms in those areas as well as in your teeth, you may need to go to the emergency room instead of the dentist.
Causes Of Jaw Pain
It can be hard to distinguish jaw pain from pain in the facial muscles. Jaw pain is often caused by grinding teeth or clenching of the jaw. Chronic conditions like tooth grinding do not require a visit to an emergency dental clinic but should still be examined by your dentist. At our practice, we may recommend and fit a custom mouthpiece for sleeping. This prevents teeth grinding in your sleep and may be all it takes to relieve your pain. It also prevents further damage to your teeth and jaw.
Other common causes of jaw pain include osteomyelitis, TMJ/TMD, or an abscessed tooth. Osteomyelitis is a type of infection which can travel through your bloodstream and affect your bones and surrounding tissue. If you are experiencing other symptoms of infection, for example a fever, you should go to the emergency room.
TMJ/TMD
TMJ/TMD requires a visit to your emergency dentist in Yorkville. It is identifiable by an accompanying clicking of the jaw when opening or closing your mouth. It can also cause your jaw to lock.
Abscessed Tooth
Another common cause of jaw pain is an abscessed tooth. This infection of the dental pulp or nerve is caused by neglecting to treat a cavity. It requires an immediate visit to our practice. Early treatment prevents the infection from spreading to other parts of your body.
If you need to be treated for your oral pain, contact us today. Our team will do its best to get you the treatment you need in a timely manner and we’re centrally located in the heart of downtown Toronto.
Yours in excellent dental health,
Dr. Judy Sturm, your emergency dentist in Yorkville
