Extreme tooth pain is usually a sign that there’s something wrong with your teeth or gums. If you have persistent extreme tooth pain that lasts longer than a few days, you may have a tooth infected or worse. Sometimes severe tooth pain can become an emergency requiring immediate care or causing permanent damage. But what exactly is an extreme tooth pain emergency?
The answer depends on numerous factors like excessive bleeding or a knocked-out tooth that needs immediate attention and a visit to the emergency room. There are many types of tooth pain, ranging from mild aches to sharp pain, which can also involve sensitivity to temperature and touch.
Read on to learn everything about extreme tooth pain.
The Most Common Causes of Extreme Tooth Pain
A few common causes of extreme tooth pain are:
- Cavities: Serious cavities surrounding your teeth eat away at the hard layers of enamel and dentin. Sometimes, if the damage goes deep, the cavities can cause extreme tooth pain when you eat and chew food, particularly very sweet foods.
- Infected Tooth: An untreated decay can result in tooth infection. As the nerves inside the tooth die, you will experience severe pain, discomfort, tooth sensitivity, and swelling of the gums around the infected area.
- Oral Trauma – If you ever experience a hard hit in a contact sport, a fall, or any other trauma that results in a dental injury or cracks/breaks one or more of your teeth, you may experience extreme tooth pain in your jaw and gums.
- Teeth Grinding (Bruxism) – In some cases, prolonged tooth grinding can stress the ligaments and roots of the teeth, which can cause extreme tooth pain. If you think you grind your teeth, see a dentist immediately to prevent further pain and damage to the teeth.
- Abnormal Bite- Similar to teeth grinding, an abnormal or irregular bite can cause TMJ syndrome. An abnormal bite creates difficulty and discomfort when you bite or chew. Your upper teeth must fit slightly over the bottom teeth, but a misaligned bite (also known as Malocclusion) occurs when the top and bottom teeth hit incorrectly.
However, malocclusion is not the most common cause of extreme tooth pain and is most likely hereditary. But, if it occurs, it can appear any time during your lifetime, especially if you have:
- Extra teeth loss
- Impacted teeth
- Thumb-sucking
- Over-excessive pacifier use
- Ill-fitting dental appliances
Depending on the cause of your extreme tooth pain. You may require treatment with a root canal, filling, or even a night guard to prevent teeth grinding.
How Do You Know If Your Extreme Tooth Pain is an Emergency?
Any oral health issue that needs immediate care by a dental health expert can be defined as a dental emergency. Your body will let you know when something is wrong, and in the case of oral health, you may experience drastic tooth pain or general discomfort in a specific spot.
To be more precise, expect the following when you experience a dental emergency:
- A Loose or Fallen Out Tooth: Adults should never experience a loose or fallen out tooth as it may indicate nerve or jaw damage, both of which require immediate treatment.
- Swelling Around the Gums or Face: Swelling usually indicates an infection that you should take extremely seriously. A fever, dizziness, and bad mouth taste often accompany the swelling.
- Extreme Tooth or Gum Site Pain: Extreme pain can have many different causes, which you should never ignore. Some causes include growing pain and increased sensitivity to the touch of your tongue or the temperature of beverages and food.
- Bleeding: Bleeding in your teeth commonly occurs with other symptoms, such as aching gums, indicating something is wrong.
All of the above signs range in severity but should be taken seriously. Call a dental hygienist and get help for your conditions immediately.
Can You Avoid Dental Emergencies?
Yes, absolutely; you can potentially prevent dental emergencies by being more careful and considerate of your oral health. Some quick tips to consider for your oral health include:
- Never open any items using your teeth; use scissors or a knife.
- Avoid chewing ice cubes, hard candy, popcorn kernels, and similar things because they can easily chip or crack a tooth.
- If you ever participate in recreational sports, wear a mouthguard to protect your teeth.
These tips may seem obvious to you but note that there are some real-life dental emergencies that you can avoid by simply following them!
Are You Experiencing Extreme Tooth Pain? Get Emergency Treatment at University Ave Dental Blaine, MN, Today!
Usually, dentists are a better option for people with chronic tooth pain. University Ave Dental keeps time available in our schedule for emergency dental care appointments. Please don’t ignore your tooth pain because the longer it persists, the more complex dental issues will take to resolve. Our experienced team at University Ave Dental identifies potential dental problems and corrects them before they get more serious.
Patients should understand that extreme tooth pain should never be a part of their everyday life. One way to avoid most dental emergencies is to contact us for regular preventive care today!