My tooth was hurting, but now......
“My tooth was hurting, but now it doesn’t – I think I’ll wait to go to the dentist.”
Often people come to the dentist and are surprised to hear that they have an extensive treatment plan for their teeth, such as needing a root canal. They are surprised because they say “but, it doesn’t hurt anymore…” However, by the time you feel any pain associated with tooth decay it’s often progressed to a more serious level causing more damage to the tooth requiring additional dental treatment. When your tooth stops hurting, it doesn’t mean that the tooth has healed itself and, therefore, you don’t need dental treatment anymore. It also doesn’t mean that you should put it off because it’s not “bothering “you anymore. When a tooth stops hurting, it usually means the nerves in the tooth are involved and are dying rapidly, which needs to be treated right away.
As most of you know, a cavity is a simple term for a hole in your tooth. Cavities are caused by plaque, a white sticky substance that comes from sugars breaking down and turning into acids that attack the teeth. The longer the acids attack the teeth, the more chance you get at developing a cavity. Cavities rarely cause any sharp shooting pain until they have been ignored for a long period of time. People who wait to fix their cavities until it starts bothering them are allowing the cavities to break through into the nerve canal called the pulp.
If you have a toothache, don’t put it off or wait it out to see if it stops hurting. Your dentist will determine what the cause of the toothache is and treat it with necessary dental procedures. Unfortunately, too many people only see a dentist when they are in pain because they think “why pay for a checkup when my teeth feel fine.” Good home care and going to the dentist for regular checkups helps prevent any major dental work. If you catch any problems at an early stage, they usually can be treated with a simple procedure. If you continue to put it off, you risk tooth infection causing more time and money to fix the problem(s).
Our Marietta dentists Dr Kirk Kimmerling, DDS, Garrick McGrath DMD and Dr Lincoln Fantaski, DMD invite you to our office to learn more about what causes toothaches and how they can be prevented. Please contact our office at 770-423-4900 or schedule an appointment for a consultation.
