Toothaches

If you have pain in your mouth, you should schedule an emergency exam with us. If you are not having pain, we would recommend a full exam and x-rays to determine what needs to be done.

Children have 20 baby teeth, all of which will be replaced with permanent teeth as the child ages. Baby teeth hold space for the adult teeth and if they are lost too early, the child is much more likely to have crowded teeth. If space is lost in the dental arches, permanent teeth may become impacted or stay up in the gums or bone. When this happens, more costly surgery and orthodontics are often needed.

The enamel on baby teeth is thinner than that of adult teeth. Unfortunately, this can lead to the cavity getting into the nerve of the tooth faster. Untreated cavities in either adult or baby teeth can lead to pain, swelling, and abscesses. Abscessed teeth are painful to chew on, and, as a result, a child may not eat properly and get the nutrition needed for their growing body.  

There are times and situations when baby teeth do need to be removed. At Lone Oak Dental, when this happens, we often create a dental device that holds the space open until the adult tooth erupts. Please don’t delay if you suspect or know that your child has cavities; treating them now can avoid tears in your child’s eyes and years of orthodontic treatment.  

As we age, our teeth often yellow.  However, teeth turning orange and brown in color are often a sign that the nerve in the tooth has died.  This often happens after a tooth has be bumped or hit and it may happen very soon after the accident or may take years.  Such coloring requires immediate attention from our dental office in Brookings.  

All teeth whether baby or adult teeth have a blood supply and a nerve that enters through the root.  If a tooth is hit hard enough, these arteries, nerves and veins are disrupted.  Broken blood vessels in the tooth will result in a brown and orange color.  While the discoloration may be gradual and not painful, a more serious process called resorption may be occurring.  Resorption often is caused by trauma and results in the root of the tooth being eaten away.  This can lead to tooth and bone loss.  

These teeth often require root canal treatment and such therapy should be completed as soon as possible to prevent resorption of the tooth root or infection.  The orange color can often be conservatively resolved with internal bleaching.  If the coloring cannot be resolved with whitening, it may require a veneer or crowning the tooth.  If you have any questions, please schedule an appointment with Dr. Jordan.  

Sensitivity to biting can be caused by several things.  If you just had a filling placed or cap done, your bite may be high on that new restoration which will make the tooth sore and cold sensitive.  This can be remedied by adjusting your bite and relieving the pressure on that tooth.  

Another cause of soreness on chewing is a cracked tooth.  The most commonly cracked teeth are lower molars and upper premolars.  Cracked teeth may or may not have fillings in them.  The pain associated with these teeth is due to the separation of the two pieces of tooth when biting forces are applied.  Cracked teeth usually need to be be crowned but occasionally require root canal treatment.  Prompt treatment of a crack can potentially save you from a root canal, so do not delay scheduling an appointment at our dental office.   

Deep decay or cracks can eventually lead to the nerve in a tooth dying.  As the nerve in the tooth dies, bacteria begin to move out of the tooth into the bone and gum tissues.  These teeth are often very sensitive to biting and tapping but have no feeling to hot or cold.  If left untreated, these teeth will often abscess which can lead to a weekend of pain or swelling.  

Pain with chewing or biting is a warning sign that our bodies give when something is not right.  Do not delay dental treatment at our Brookings dental office as prompt treatment may save you time, money and from intense pain.