Our dentists at Excellence in Dentistry in Fort Lauderdale understand the propensity to hold off on scheduling a dental appointment in hopes that your toothache will subside. However, your tooth pain should not be ignored. Aside from relief from the pain, immediate dental attention can provide treatment to repair the source of the toothache and potentially save your tooth.
Many conditions can cause tooth pain. Common causes of toothache include:
Usually, when a cavity penetrates through the enamel and approaches the nerve, you will feel a normal pain response. Similarly, trauma from an injury or a fracture can cause pain. As the nerve succumbs to the infection or injury, it dies and the pain decreases until the tooth is no longer responsive at all. To save the tooth and maintain the integrity of your smile, a root canal treatment may be necessary. Cleaning out the infected nerve and leaving the rest of your tooth intact will eliminate a dangerous infection and prevent further damage.
During a thorough dental exam, Dr. Wasselle or Dr. Rotroff will take a digital x-ray of your tooth and ask you questions about your toothache symptoms. Once the cause of the toothache is determined, our dentist will discuss your best treatment options. Depending on the cause of the toothache, your best option for dental restoration may be:
Once the cause of the toothache is determined, rest assured that your Fort Lauderdale dentist will restore your smile with the highest quality dental restorations. Additionally, Dr. Wasselle can provide sedation dentistry for your comfort.
Sometimes patients experience a toothache that comes and goes and therefore delay visiting their dentist. If you have moderate to severe pain, this is usually a sign that the nerve of your tooth is inflamed or infected. If this type of toothache goes away, it’s typically because the nerve of the tooth has “died” or been destroyed by the infection. While the absence of pain may be a relief, unfortunately it does not necessarily indicate that things are getting better. The infection is still there and can lead to serious problems if it isn’t treated. In fact, once a tooth dies, options for saving the tooth decreases dramatically.
A quick twinge of pain or discomfort when your teeth are exposed to hot, cold or sweet things is not always a serious problem. Some patients have sensitive teeth. There are various treatments to help our patients with sensitive teeth. Your Fort Lauderdale dentist may suggest a particular toothpaste specifically made for sensitive teeth, or prescribe a topical tooth creme such as MI Paste, or apply a topical desensitizing medicament to help with your sensitivity. If your sensitivity worsens, schedule an exam with your dentist right away.
Any time you have a toothache, don't just search the internet for "dentist near me." Call Dr. Gerard Wasselle or Dr. Nancy Rotroff at 954-928-1666. We understand how debilitating a tootache can be. As your trusted family dentist, we are here to get you out of pain and back to your normal routine as quickly as possible.
