If You’re Unbothered by a Painful Tooth, Do You Need a Dental Appointment?

Many people know exactly what it feels like when they're starting to get a dental cavity. The pain can be mild at the start but it can get worse as the cavity progresses. But if you're experiencing this kind of pain and don't see anything wrong with your tooth, do you need to go to the dentist or can you wait it out? Unfortunately, the naked eye won't necessarily reveal everything that's wrong with one's oral health. Here are a few problems that may be going on that don't necessarily have obvious visual signs.

Internal Damage

One possibility is that something has happened on the inside of your tooth rather than the outside. Cavities are holes that are made by bacteria and plaque breaking down the exterior of the tooth and gradually working their way inside but not all damage to the inside of teeth starts that way.

For example, you could be experiencing tooth resorption. This is a condition where the body starts breaking down the interior of a tooth itself as though it were a baby tooth. If caught early enough, this condition can be treated and the tooth saved but if you wait too long, a root canal or full extraction may be necessary.

Gum Health

Your gums can also have a big impact on your teeth and can even cause tooth pain. This is because inflammation often doesn't stay in one place. If your gums are infected and irritated with gum disease, they may be causing pain in your tooth or the gums themselves. While severe gum disease tends to manifest with signs like bleeding, swelling, and redness, earlier stages of gum disease can still cause pain and won't necessarily show any of these outward signs. The good news is that gum disease is easily treated by dentists (especially in the early stages) so your pain may be relieved quite easily if this is the problem.

Getting Help Now

People often make excuses like not having enough time to avoid going to the dentist but with problems like these, you don't want to wait. What starts as a bit of tooth pain can end up being a gap between your teeth due to the loss of the tooth. While visiting a dentist's office may not exactly be a party, it's a way of taking care of yourself and securing your health. If you look at it from the perspective of self-care, rather than as a chore or nuisance, you're less likely to resist going to get this problem treated.

If you have more questions, contact a general dentistry clinic. 

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