Oral hygiene is a prerequisite for healthy teeth; hence, it should start early in childhood. Nonetheless, you will still experience severe toothaches at some point, which can disrupt your daily activities and even lower your concentration levels. The worst part is that toothaches get worse at night because of fewer distractions and increased blood flow. The best solution for a severe toothache is to visit an emergency dentist. Here are some solid reasons to do so.
Determine Cause
Pain is the body's way of telling you that things are not okay, and this also applies to toothaches. Problems such as infected teeth, tooth decay and cavities can lead to excruciating and unbearable pain. Therefore, you are not doing yourself a favour by managing the pain at home. Although you can find over-the-counter painkillers to numb the pain, the relief is temporary since it only lasts a few hours. The reason is that pain medication does not address the root cause of a toothache, and delays can worsen the issue. Seeing an emergency dentist increases the chances of finding, identifying and addressing a problem early.
Manage Pain
Toothache intensity varies depending on the cause. For instance, toothache from a large and infected cavity is more intense than the pain you feel from a chipped tooth. While most over-the-counter painkillers can relieve severe toothaches, they wear off fast, making it easy to become dependent on pain pills. Emergency dentists know the right painkillers to prescribe to each patient depending on their unique needs. For instance, emergency dentists prescribe long-lasting painkillers for patients with several broken teeth and short-term pain medication for issues such as a chipped tooth. Moreover, the painkillers you get from an emergency dentist target the right pain nerves, something you do not get with over-the-counter pills.
Keep Dental Care Costs Low
Medicare and some private insurance companies do not cover most dental procedures, such as cleanings, fillings, tooth extractions, dentures or dental plates. Thus, it is critical to have common causes of toothache — decay, gum disease and abscess — checked by an emergency dentist as early as possible. The reason is that toothaches and related issues tend to worsen if you wait longer than necessary to contact a dentist. For example, you must pay for the required dental procedure, treatment and medication out of pocket, which can set you back a tidy sum. Seeing an emergency dentist when you develop pain can help keep costs low.
Share20 September 2021
When I had my first child, I was a nervous wreck. Every book I read gave different advice, and I just wanted to be right! By the time I had my third child, some of the stress had abated. I now realised, there were tons of different perspectives on everything related to raising children including dentistry. To help parents, I have created this blog dedicated to unraveling dental myths about children. I am including posts that weigh both sides of issues such as thumb sucking, dental caries, breastfeeding, flossing and any other topic I can think of. I hope you find the information you need to unravel dental myths, but most importantly, I hope you find some peace of mind. With kids and dentistry, there can be more than one right answer, and I want you to be able to relax and go with the answer that's right for you.
