My teeth hurt. Should I go to the dentist?

Do you have one or more hurting teeth? Are you wondering whether or not you should see your dentist? Here, our Clarenville dentists discuss a few signs that may be indicating an emergency.

Why do my teeth hurt?

Toothaches can bring throbbing pain to your mouth ab be quite severe. You likely don't need to be told this, but you should contact a dentist as soon as possible if you are experiencing this kind of emergency.

There are several different signs that indicate you should see a dentist right away, in addition to pain around the tooth. These include:

• Fever
• Bleeding in your mouth
• Facial swelling
• Swelling around the tooth
• Foul taste in your mouth or bad breath

Different factors that may be causing your tooth to feel painful include:

• Damaged dental work
• Abscessed tooth
• Teeth grinding
• Infected nerve
• Tooth decay
• Infections in the mouth
• Trauma to the tooth or surrounding tissue

What to Do

The specifics of what you should do while experiencing serious tooth pain will depend on the cause of your pain.

If you are experiencing tooth pain, the first thing you need to do is quell any bleeding using gauze. If your tooth or a piece of your tooth has been lost, try your best to find it. When you do, dust off debris. Whatever you do, don't rinse it with water.

If possible, place the tooth carefully into the socket, and bite down gently. If you’re not able to push the tooth back into the socket, add some milk to a lidded container and place the tooth inside. This may help preserve the tooth and make it more likely that your dentist will be able to replace it.

If you are experiencing swelling or pain, try taking over-the-counter painkillers (while carefully following the instructions on the bottle for the recommended dose) and applying an icepack to the area.

You should then make an appointment with your dentist so the issue can be diagnosed and treated. Note that most dental pain will not stop on its own, and attempting to diagnose or treat the issue yourself could lead to serious issues long-term.

Depending on the cause of the pain, our dentists at Elliott Dental Studio in Clarenville may either tell you that you should come to our office right away for treatment, or make an appointment to see you as soon as possible.

If you have experienced physical trauma to a tooth, causing breakage or a fracture, or if you are in serious pain, call our office as soon as you are safe. We will make space in our schedule as soon as we can for emergency dental treatment.

If your case is less severe, here are some other things you can do to manage your discomfort until your appointment time:

• Keep your teeth clean
• Record your pain
• Rinse your mouth using salt water
• If the tooth is broken, apply a piece of gauze over the jagged edge of the tooth

Wondering if your toothache is a dental emergency? Our Clarenville dentists can assess your symptoms and book an appointment for you right away. Contact us today.