Is Your Oral Pain An Emergency Situation?
When you think of a dental emergency, a severe dental pain likely comes to mind. Well, pain is a sign of an emergency, but there are different types of pain and a variety of scenarios that cause the discomfort. It can be difficult to determine what types of sensations are truly an emergency and which simply indicate that you have a serious cavity issue going on. Keep reading to learn about two types of painful scenarios that likely require a trip to an emergency dentist.
Intense Throbbing Sensations
A dull throb in the jaw is likely caused by a cavity. This sort of mild sensation is your dental nerve telling you that one or several teeth are in distress. However, when that dull throb turns into an intense pain or if the pain starts off as a serious throbbing sensation, then there is likely something more sinister going on.
Intense throbbing pains occur when the tooth is in a great deal of distress. The dental nerve relays the distress signal, just like it does when a cavity is present, and the intensity of the pain informs you of the seriousness of the situation. When intense throbbing is noted, an abscess or infection has most likely developed inside your tooth.
You are likely to see some swelling around the jaw if an abscess has developed. However, you may see no other evidence of a dental issue. This is common when an abscess first develops or when bacteria gets inside the pulp chamber and causes a pulpitis condition, which is the swelling of the soft pulp tissues.
Pressure and Jaw Pain
If you notice strong pain and pressure along the back of the jaw, then you may be developing an impacted wisdom tooth issue. If you still have these teeth and are between the ages of 17 and 25, then this is something to be concerned about. When the wisdom teeth come in, they can become compacted.
If you have a small jaw, small mouth, or have second molars that sit close to the back of the jaw, then compacted teeth are likely. Unfortunately, the issue will get worse as the teeth continue to move up towards the mouth. Pain will worsen, as well, and you may sustain some molar damage.
It is wise to seek out immediate care so a treatment plan can be established as soon as possible. For example, a surgical procedure may be required to remove the teeth.
In some situations, the wisdom teeth may not be impacted, but they may be infected. This sort of situation needs to be evaluated, as well.