On a scale of one to ten, with perfectly healthy teeth as one, a bad tooth rapidly approaches a ten. Left untreated, non-restorable teeth, also simply referred to as a bad tooth, can cause a ripple effect of damage throughout your mouth. Bad tooth pain is more than just a nuisance – it can have serious consequences on your overall health.
Help! What can I do about my bad tooth?
Deciding what to do about your tooth depends on what caused it in the first place. There are five common causes of bad tooth pain or decay.
1. Cavity
Cavity is the most common cause of bad tooth pain. Caused largely by poor diet and oral hygiene, cavity can cause pain as it progresses deeper into the tooth.
2. Avulsed teeth
Missing adult teeth are also referred to as avulsed teeth.
These can be missing due to an accident or trauma to the mouth. They may have cracked or broken off due to tooth decay. In the latter case, avulsed teeth can cause considerable pain if nerves are exposed.
3. Abscessed tooth
An abscessed tooth may begin with a superficial cavity that weakens the attachment of gum to tooth.
This may also allow cracks to form in the teeth. When either of these happens, bacteria leaches under the gumline or into the tooth itself, causing an abscessed tooth.
4. Crowded teeth
Too many teeth improperly spaced can make proper oral hygiene difficult. Once hygiene begins to slip, the door opens to cavity and tooth decay.
While crowded teeth on their own may not cause a bad tooth, they are challenging to clean. This can speed up the process of decay.
5. Periodontal disease
Periodontal disease is the number one reason that people lose their teeth. Tooth decay that progresses unchecked begins to affect the gums and bones of the jaw. When this happens, tooth abscess can occur, further damaging the bone and gums.
This list doesn’t cover all possible causes of teeth that have gone bad. These are only five of the main reasons people seek treatment for bad tooth pain. Regardless of the cause, there are a variety of treatment options available, as we’ll explain shortly.
What are common bad tooth symptoms?
Bad tooth symptoms are straightforward.
- Pain: Pain occurs because whatever has caused the tooth has made its way down to the nerves in the tooth. In the beginning, bad tooth pain occurs only when pressure is applied to the tooth. As it progresses it may become a constant ache.
- Sensitivity to hot and cold: Sensitivity to hot and cold may occur before pain.
- Bad smell: Tooth decay is exactly what it sounds like. Something – in this case, your tooth – is being eaten by bacteria and putting off a bad smell. Bad breath may go away briefly after brushing or flossing, and then return if the source of decay is not treated.
- Bad taste: Particularly in the case of an abscessed tooth, a bad taste is a common symptom of a bad tooth. The abscess contains foul-smelling and tasting liquid that rushes into the mouth when the abscess bursts. This may relieve the pain until the abscess begins to fill again.
- Visible decay: Tooth decay is visible to varying degrees as it progresses. Starting as a small brown or grey dot on the tooth, decay gets darker and spreads as it worsens.
The last and final symptom of a bad tooth is a blessing and a curse. If you have been experiencing severe pain that suddenly and completely disappears, chances are good that you now have a necrotic or “dead” tooth. The nerves and delicate tissues have completely died, leaving in their place an empty tooth, waiting to be filled with more bacteria.
How can a bad tooth affect your health?
A bad tooth can have lasting and serious effects on your overall health.
Diseases and conditions in the mouth (e.g., periodontal disease, tooth abscess, and cavity) can cause an increase in inflammation in the body in general. For patients with other chronic conditions, this inflammation can further complicate their treatments.
The National Institutes of Health has found that there is a link between poor oral health and chronic systemic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular issues.
So what does this mean for you? Your overall health begins with good oral health.
When to see a dentist about a bad tooth
A cavity may not constitute an emergency, but there are cases when a visit to a Scottsdale emergency dentist is in order.
- Knocked-out tooth: Seeing a dentist within 30 minutes of a knocked out tooth increases the chances of reinserting that tooth
- Tissue injury or trauma: Any tissue injury or trauma that causes punctures or lacerations to the teeth, mouth, and gums should be immediately addressed by an emergency dentist
- Other emergencies: If you are having severe pain or uncontrolled bleeding, call an emergency dentist
How can a dentist fix my bad tooth?
The sooner you visit your dentist for pain or decay, the better. Addressing the underlying issues as soon as possible means less invasive treatment and a better chance of success.
Some bad tooth treatment options include:
- Filling cavities: For tooth decay that has not progressed into the tooth’s roots, removing decayed material and filling the tooth is the easiest option.
- Treating tooth abscess: A tooth abscess will be located on an X-ray and then drained and treated. Patients may receive antibiotics to stop the infection.
- Addressing periodontal disease: If periodontal disease is the cause of the bad tooth, a deep cleaning, or scaling and root planing is in order.
- Root canal: A root canal cleans out infected dental pulp and fills the tooth to prevent further decay.
For a tooth that has progressed beyond the above treatments, extraction, dental crowns, implants, and dental bridges may be necessary.
For a full evaluation of your oral health and treatment of a bad tooth, get in touch with your convenient Scottsdale weekend dentist today and visit us at one of our Phoenix area clinics!