Toothaches and dental pain can be extremely uncomfortable, producing throbbing and shearing pain, headaches, and more. The best way to combat tooth pain is to take preventative measures by scheduling regular check-ups and adopting a normal oral health routine. However, even with excellent dental care, sometimes unexpected pain and discomfort can still occur.
If you are having a dental emergency the first step is to always try and reach your dentist. Often he or she can provide excellent recommendations over the phone. If you feel that your dental emergency is putting your health at risk it may be necessary to go to the emergency room. Types of dental emergencies that warrant emergent care often include:
- significant tissue bleeding – especially if you are on blood thinners for other medical conditions
- rapidly increasing facial or gum swelling
- severe infection or abscess in the mouth that can invoke a fever or extreme facial/dental pain
- facial trauma that results in damaged/lost teeth and/or broken facial bones
If you are not having a medical emergency, but still have a relatively urgent dental problem, schedule an appointment with your oral surgeon or dentist, notifying the receptionist of your symptoms. Often your dentist can get you into the office relatively quickly. If you are experiencing a mild infection with a tooth your dentist may be able to prescribe antibiotics. He or she may also recommend over the counter pain relief such as ibuprofen or tylenol.
Suffering from tooth pain is never enjoyable. While the goal is to avoid painful problems by keeping up with regular comprehensive dental care sometimes unexpected problems occur. If you are suffering from oral discomfort associated with tooth or bone loss, wisdom tooth eruption, dental implant problems, facial trauma, or oral pathology, feel free to contact oral surgeons Drs. Martin and Appelblatt to schedule an appointment.