Toothaches can really affect your life. Toothache pain can be bad enough to cause you to miss days from school or work. An ache that starts in the teeth often feels like it radiates through your entire face. Talking, chewing, brushing your teeth – regular every day activities – seem nearly impossible. Many people pinpoint cavities as being the most obvious cause of a toothache, but there are many other potential reasons that you might feel discomfort in your teeth. Ankeny dentist, Dr. Erika Peddicord, is here with five conditions that can cause toothaches.
Five Common Toothache Causes
1. Sinus Infections – That’s right – your toothache might not actually be a toothache. Sinuses and teeth are close neighbors.
2. Dental caries – More commonly known as tooth decay or cavities, when teeth rot to enough of a degree, pain is likely to follow.
3. Bruxism – Better known as teeth grinding, this condition generally affects people in their sleep. The motion of teeth rubbing together for hours at a time can wear away tooth enamel, and certainly cause toothaches.
4. Gum Disease – The earliest phase is gingivitis, and may only cause puffy gums and some bleeding when you brush your teeth. If allowed to progress, full blown gum disease and periodontitis (severe gum disease) can lead to recession of gingival tissue, periodontal pockets between the jawbone and gums, abscesses, and infections in the roots and pulp. All of these can carry with them a symptom that could be described as a toothache.
5. Dental Injury – Certainly accidents can happen no matter what precautions we take. However, people that participate in high-impact sports activities should strongly consider getting fitted with a customized athletic mouthguard to protect teeth.
Toothache? Call Your Ankeny Dentist
If you are experiencing a toothache that is severe, or just won’t go away, our team at Peddicord Family Dentistry is just a phone call away. You can contact our Ankeny dentist office today at (515) 963-3339. Peddicord Family Dentistry proudly serves patients in Ankeny, Cambridge, Sheldahl, Maxwell, Collins, the 50021 zip code, and surrounding neighborhoods.