Cost Of Dental Implants Northville, MI

Tooth Pain Can Drive a Sane Person Mad

Tooth pain is one of the most unpleasant sensations the human body can produce. But dental pain serves an important purpose: it's your body's way of telling you that there is a problem with your oral health.

Teeth pain can indicate all sorts of dental maladies. Painful teeth can be a result of tooth decay and dental cavities. Swollen and painful gums suggest gingivitis or periodontal disease. Jaw pain may come from TMJ disorder. Sensitive teeth could be a result of crooked teeth that need braces or orthodontics.

Your general or family dentist can help you discover the source of your oral pain, decide on a course of treatment, and recommend a dental specialist if you need one.

If Your Tooth Hurts, You May Need a Root Canal

A tooth abscess is a bacterial infection inside of your tooth and oral tissues, and it's a common cause of oral pain and swelling. It happens when bacteria are able to creep inside the tooth as a result of injury, decay, gum disease, or damaged dental work.

Once the inside of a tooth -- the "tooth pulp" -- gets infected, it needs to be removed so the infection does not spread further. This is the goal of root canal therapy.

During root canal treatment, a root canal dentist or endodontist opens up the infected tooth, exposing the pulp within. The infected tissue is manually removed. The inside of the tooth is then filled with endodontic material that cannot get infected.

Once a dental crown is attached to the top of the tooth, your tooth is almost as good as new! It will look and feel like the rest of your teeth, and it's still totally attached. You'll just need to practice good oral hygiene to prevent any future dental infections.

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.

Root Canal Dentist, Tooth Pain and Endodontic Disease

What Are the Most Common Symptoms of Endodontic Disease?

Endodontic disease can manifest itself with a wide variety and combination of symptoms. Common symptoms of endodontic disease include:

• Lingering tooth sensitivity to cold liquids.
• Lingering tooth sensitivity to hot liquids.
• Tooth sensitivity to sweets.
• Tooth pain to biting pressure.
• Tooth pain that is referred from a tooth to another area, such as the neck, temple, or the ear.
• Spontaneous toothache, such as that experienced while reading a magazine, watching television, etc.
• Constant or intermittent tooth pain.
• Severe tooth pain.
• Throbbing tooth pain.
• Tooth pain that may occur in response to atmospheric pressure changes, such as when flying or scuba diving.
• Tooth pain that may occur in response to postural changes, such as when going from a standing to a reclining position.
• Tooth Swelling.

If you have any of these symptoms, it would be wise to see your dentist because you might have root canal disease or another dental problem.

Some of these endodontic disease symptoms may also be attributable to decay, defective fillings, periodontal diseases, cracked teeth, or other tooth or bite-related problems.

On other occasions, the symptoms may even be caused by disorders that are not related to the teeth.

Why May Endodontic Disease Cause Swelling?

When the pulpal tissue becomes severely diseased and necrotic, the resultant infection can spread from inside the tooth into the adjacent bone and soft tissues. As a result, swelling can occur in the tissues immediately surrounding the tooth.

If this situation is not treated and the endodontic disease process is not kept under control by the body's defenses, the infection can begin to spread into other tissue spaces, such as those around the eye or in the neck. In some situations, this can become a serious medical emergency.

By Clifford J. Ruddle, DDS, in collaboration with Philip M. Smith, DDS

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.