With a little preparation, you can make sure that you get much more from your next trip to the dentist. Your local dentist doesn't just check on the health of your teeth, they can also offer many other treatments. This website is designed to bring up the best info possible about the range of treatments a dental professional can offer you. We will be looking at dentures, tartar removal, tooth replacement and much more. While no one who contributes to this site is a trained dentist, everyone is extremely interested in researching and writing about this topic. Thank you for checking out this site.
Broadly speaking, pain can be divided into two primary categories: sharp and dull. There are numerous variations within these two forms of discomfort, but categorising pain in this manner can be beneficial in getting to the root of the problem that is causing the pain in the first place. Dental pain is a particularly unpleasant experience, and like most physical ailments, it can be sharp or dull. But what do these types of pain mean in terms of your dental health?
Your Dental Pulp
A sharp pain in your mouth could be the dental pulp (the nerve) inside a particular tooth signalling a problem. This pulp is safely contained inside the dental pulp, which is covered by dentin (the substance that forms the bulk of the tooth), which is in turn coated in enamel. This sharp pain can be caused by exposure of the pulp. The tooth might have been chipped or decayed (including cavities) to the point that the pulp chamber has been breached.
Potential Complications
This type of sharp pain can be aggravated by food and drink (particularly food that's especially hot or cold, spicy or acidic), or even the intake of air. This issue will not fix itself, and your dentist must restore the tooth. Failure to have the tooth treated can lead to an infection of the pulp, resulting in its death (which generally requires a root canal). A bacterial infection known as a dental abscess is also a possibility, and this is caused by pus accumulating in or around the tooth in question. This can be hazardous and requires immediate treatment.
Nocturnal Grinding
A dull pain can have a variety of causes. It's conceivable that an issue with your dental pulp could cause a tooth to present a dull pain, sometimes flaring to a sharp pain when the tooth is exposed to various stimuli (such as food and drink). When the pain is consistently dull and also affects your jaw (and associated muscles), you might be a nocturnal grinder. This is when you unknowingly grind your teeth at night. Nocturnal grinding can lead to a variety of issues, most notably temporomandibular joint dysfunction.
What Might Happen
Grinding can accelerate wear and tear on your teeth and can quickly compromise your dental enamel. Although it might not be as urgent an issue as a sharp pain, nocturnal grinding will need to be addressed. Your dentist might suggest a mouthguard to be worn overnight to protect your teeth, and any physical damage caused by your grinding will, of course, require treatment.
Whether the pain is sharp or dull, all dental discomfort should be inspected by your dentist.
Share12 August 2020
