Sometimes in life, it’s nice when things go away on their own. That annoying door-to-door salesman, the cloudy sky threatening your day at the beach. But what about your toothache? While it may seem like good news that the throbbing pain in your mouth has stopped, a toothache that suddenly goes away could be a sign of big trouble. Here are a few reasons why tooth pain could stop, and what you should do when it happens.
Causes of Tooth Pain
There are many things that could cause a tooth to hurt. Receding gums may make teeth and gums sensitive to hot and cold. This typically stops when your mouth returns to its normal temperature but can sometimes linger a little longer. While this type of discomfort is important to address with your dentist, it’s not considered a dental emergency.
Cavities are another reason you may be feeling dental discomfort. Things like sweets, hot and cold foods, and even acidic foods can make them temporarily feel worse, as can the chemicals used in whitening products. Again, while you should absolutely seek help from your dentist, cavities are not typically an urgent dental emergency.
Another reason why your tooth may ache is trapped food. This pain typically clears up once the debris is cleared away, though there may be a little gum tenderness for a few days if it was a large particle or if the tissue was injured in the removal process.
Tooth Infections
Tooth infections are one of the most dangerous oral health problems, and if your tooth is hurting, you may think it’s a good thing when it stops. Unfortunately, when it comes to infections the cessation of pain can be a very bad thing, as it often means that the infection has spread to the inner layers of your tooth and has caused the nerve that tells your brain you’re in pain to die. At this point, the infection is in danger of spreading, which could eventually lead to sepsis.
Treating a Toothache
If you are experiencing a toothache that suddenly goes away without explanation, it’s important to seek help from your emergency dentist as soon as possible. Treatment options like a root canal, filling, or extraction may be necessary to protect your smile from further damage, but the important thing is that the infection is stopped before it has a chance to cause greater damage.
Remember, while it may seem like good news that your toothache pain has suddenly vanished, the truth is that this type of problem rarely goes away on its own, and the lack of discomfort often signals a more serious, more dangerous problem in your mouth. If you have unexpected or unexplained dental discomfort, schedule an emergency appointment with your dentist today and get toothache relief the right way.
About Our Practice
At DentCare Dental Center, we are proud to offer a variety of dental treatments in one convenient location. We even offer same-day appointments for dental emergencies. If you are experiencing a toothache, don’t wish and hope for it to go away on its own. Protect your smile from dangerous infection and other damage and call us for an urgent appointment today at 718-937-6750.