When we think of our smile, we want to imagine that it will look attractive and feel healthy and whole. Most of the time, we don’t ponder the likelihood of a dental emergency. If we had to think about it, we may say that emergency dental care is something needed when a tooth is injured or knocked out. What often happens in our North York, Pickering, and Scarborough practices is that a patient calls for emergency care when a toothache has become undeniably painful.
Yes, the leading cause of emergency dental care is the common toothache. Pain in a tooth may be a common complaint but the problem itself is certainly not simple. Tooth pain may occur in several different ways, each of which is a sign that decay or infection is present. What we encourage our patients to do is contact us at the very first twinge of sensitivity or pain. When a mildly painful tooth is promptly assessed and treated, the minor problem causing pain can be kept from its inward progression.
Decay typically begins in the outermost layer of a tooth. The exception would be the presence of gum disease in which tissue has pulled away from a tooth. In such an instance, bacteria may cause a cavity right at the root. In the typical progression, a cavity will start out as a tiny pit in enamel. It is at this time that sensitivity may be felt. If treatment is not obtained when a cavity is small, higher amounts of bacteria will be able to accumulate in the pit, leaving behind more acid to further the pit into a hole.
Once decay has moved past enamel, the hard outer shell, it becomes very easy to infect the soft tissues that lie beneath. At the core of the tooth is a chamber in which the root, nerves, and other vessels are housed. When bacteria reach this area, a severe toothache may develop, seemingly overnight.
Don’t let pain be the only reason you see the dentist. The team at Esquire Dental Centres offers gentle care for patients of all ages. If you have concerns about your smile, they deserve to be addressed before they become urgent matters. Schedule your routine checkup or your restorative treatment with us today and get back to comfort right away.
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