Signs You May Need to See a Dentist About Tooth Pain

If you have tooth pain that lasts more than a day or two, you most likely have a severe problem that should be looked at by a dentist before it grows into something worse. Sometimes people avoid going to the dentist because they are embarrassed about their teeth or they do not like needles, so they put it off until the problem and the pain gets worse than it originally needed to. 

If you are having pain, there are four reasons listed next that should motivate you to get the help you need from a dentist because your health and well-being are nothing to play with, and people who have ignored their tooth pain have suffered unnecessary consequences.

Nerve exposure

When your tooth is in pain, it stems from the nerve inside that tooth, which is normally protected by an outer coating. This nerve delivers oxygen and nutrients to the sensitive tissues surrounding it, and this all keeps the tooth alive. Sugary foods create an ideal environment for bacteria in your mouth. These bacteria gradually wear away at the outer shell of your teeth, and this allows more bacteria to enter the pulp of the tooth, which is a rich supply of blood vessels and nerves.

Once bacteria access the pulp inside a tooth, you need to have that tooth pulled or receive a root canal, and in most cases, this could be avoided if you see a dentist before it gets to this point. A dentist can often seal off the cavity with a filling and save you a lot of trouble down the road.

Risk of a dental abscess

As your tooth’s infection eats through the nerve and enters your gums, it will most likely get into your jaw as well and form an abscess. An abscess is a painful collection of pus caused by a localized infection. The symptom of this abscess is an intense throbbing pain that might get worse when you lie down. The pain could spread throughout your jaw or even your ear, and this is usually your last warning to get to a dentist before the tooth fractures.

Dangerous infection

If you continue to ignore your pain even with symptoms of an abscess, the infection could spread into your bloodstream and enter internal organs or possibly pass the blood-brain barrier. You could suffer heart or kidney damage, or if the infection gets into your brain, it could colonize there, treating a brain abscess. A brain abscess could result in brain swelling and catastrophic brain damage.

Future dental and other medical costs

Aside from all the terrible things ignoring a tooth infection can do to your health and even threaten your life, it can also hit you hard in the pocketbook. The need for future visits to a general dentistry office or even to the emergency room is hard to predict when the pain in your tooth first begins but why take your chances. If you get to the dentist when your tooth pain first begins, you will certainly protect your health and your financial savings.  

Request an appointment here: https://www.diamondheaddentalcare.com or call Diamond Head Dental Care at (808) 450-2101 for an appointment in our Honolulu office.

Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: Tooth Pain in Honolulu, HI.