Toothache
Even if you are usually fairly fastidious about your oral healthcare routine, and you try your best to keep up with those recommended regular dental checkups there may very well come a time when you are blindsided by a sudden toothache. Not fun, and often not easy to soothe.
It's at this point that many people assume that, despite all of their best efforts, they have a cavity and it's time to steel their nerves to head into the dentist's office for a filling. However, although often that does turn out to be the case (and modern fillings are painless and very natural looking by the way, so it's not the end of the world) it is not always a cavity causing that pain, and other forces may be at work.
Here's a look at some of the other possibilities...
Sensitive Teeth
If the pain occurred - or occurs - after eating or drinking something very hot, or very cold, then it may be caused by a fairly simple case of sensitivity. While there are lots of toothpastes available that are designed to help ease this the best first course of action is a visit to the dentist. There he or she will be able to rule out things like excessively thinning tooth enamel or receding gums, conditions which have to be treated in a different way, and then recommend a suitable daily oral health care routine to follow in the future to minimise the problem.
Cracked or Chipped Tooth
Even if you can't quite see it a crack or chip in one of your tooth may be the cause of your discomfort, as even the smallest of these can expose a nerve, leading to a surprising amount pain. Your dentist has a number of methods at their disposal to repair these defects, but they can't do that until you go in and see them!
Gum Disease
Sometimes the pain you assume is radiating from a tooth gone bad is actually coming from the gum surrounding it instead. A gum infection, which can be caused by a number of different things, can be excruciatingly painful and does need to be treated as soon as possible. Often a course of dental laser treatment and cleaning, along with medication to clear up the current infection, is extremely effective and you can be out of pain very quickly.
TWhen You Need More than a Filling
Some tooth decay cannot be effectively treated with just a filling. If a tooth is significantly damaged by decay its root is often affected as well, and in this case slightly more treatment is called for, often in the form of a root canal, if the tooth is to be saved. This is a scary prospect for many, as they have heard nightmarish tales of pain and agony that lasts for days. This is not the case at all in the 21st century. A root canal can be performed quickly and efficiently using dental lasers and the pain and discomfort is minimal (really).
Emergency Dentist Sydney Says:
It's easy to try to treat a toothache at home because you don't have the time/patience/guts to head to the dentist's to get it properly diagnosed and treated. But even if a toothache seems fairly minor, or it comes and goes, tooth pain is always a sign of a problem of some kind, and the faster you get it treated the better off you - and your oral health in general - will be.