What Causes a Toothache?
Typical toothaches
They have various symptoms and many causes. Often, a patient comes to Whitecaps Dental with:
- Throbbing pain
- Sensitivity to hot or cold beverages or a sharp pain when biting or chewing
- Swelling of the jaw
- Redness and/or a pimple at the gum line
- Drainage that is bad-tasting
- Fever
- A general feeling of malaise
- Persistent bad breath
Toothache first aid
Dr. Panico urges his patients to contact the office as soon as any symptoms arise. The sooner he diagnoses the problem and treats it, the better the person will feel and the better the outcome of any treatment will be.
Additionally, he recommends these simple first aid interventions to bring temporary relief before seeing the dentist:
1. Take over-the-counter ibuprofen or acetaminophen for discomfort. Do not use aspirin.
2. Ice the jaw, 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off, to reduce swelling.
3. Rinse the mouth with warm salt water to control drainage.
If the toothache comes from oral trauma, save any tooth fragments, and get to Whitecaps Dental as soon as possible.
Toothache treatments
Dr. Panico examines aching teeth and performs X-rays to determine the type and the extent of the problem. Commonly, the individual has a deep cavity and requires a tooth-colored filling or even a dental crown. If the tooth is infected, root canal therapy removes the diseased inner pulp and seals and crowns the tooth to preserve and strengthen it.
Unfortunately, sometimes a tooth is so extensively damaged it cannot be saved. In that case, Dr. Panico extracts the tooth and plans a replacement for the patient in the form of fixed bridgework, a partial denture or dental implant, today's longest lasting and most beneficial tooth replacement.
Are you in need of toothache treatment?
Call William H. Panico, DMD in Cape May County, NJ at (609) 886-2277 to schedule a consultation!