Los Altos Dental Emergency – Toothache
If you are suffering with toothache pain, a dental emergency appointment should be made as soon as possible. Toothache pain is a common occurrence experienced by many people, but fast relief is available. If you live near the city of Los Altos, Dr. Bhawna Gupta has many years of experience, and a conveniently located office with space and time reserved to treat patients experiencing dental emergencies including toothache pain.
The source of toothache pain varies. Sinus congestion, infection and pressure may cause back teeth in the upper arch to ache. When these teeth are healthy, treating and clearing the sinus problems will frequently cause the teeth to feel better.
Tooth decay is often behind toothache pain. Tooth decay may start out small and rapidly expand. Decay that has spread deep within a tooth must be removed. It cannot be reversed or healed. This deep decay can sometimes upset the nerve of the tooth and cause an abscess or infection. In this case, to preserve the tooth, a root canal would be needed. Root canals have a bad reputation amongst many people, but the reality is that they have a high success rate, and provide needed relief of tooth pain.
Preventative measures such as three times a day brushing and flossing may reduce the occurrence of tooth decay. Regular examinations at a Los Altos area dental office may help to prevent this type of dental emergency.
Other toothache dental emergency visits are caused by fractures, lost fillings, and broken teeth. These may be the result of trauma. It is not always possible to protect the teeth from trauma, but when possible protective measures such as the use of mouth guards should be utilized.
Some toothaches require the removal of the tooth. This is usually the case when the tooth is missing a large amount of surrounding bone, or if the decay is in an area that is difficult to reach and restore. A dentist near the city of Los Altos can safely remove a tooth that is not salvageable. Be sure to inform the dentist of any past surgeries that you’ve undergone, medical conditions that you are experiencing, and medications that you are taking to prevent surgical complications.
The dentist will instruct you on how to care for your extraction site. These instructions must be carefully followed to avoid delayed healing. It is especially important to protect the blood clot that forms as the first step in the healing process. A painful dry socket can occur if the blood clot is lost. In the days following the extraction, if you suspect that you have a dry socket, contact the Los Altos area dentist immediately for further treatment. Smoking should also be avoided in the days before and after an extraction so that the wound can properly heal.
During your dental emergency visit, an x-ray will be taken, and diagnostic tests will be used to determine the source of your toothache and the appropriate treatment plan. Whatever the cause, we are here to provide prompt, thorough, and gentle dental care for any patient suffering with a toothache dental emergency.