Tag Archives: root canal

Toothache Causes: My tooth is throbbing! What do I do?

Posted by Genny Skrobanek on April 14, 2020

Toothaches are tricky — they can feel like a minor tinge or they can cause crippling pain. That’s why we want to share some common toothache causes, their symptoms and when you should seek help from your dentist.

What is the definition of a toothache?

Pain or inflammation in or around the tooth, often caused by tooth infection or decay.

What are common toothache causes?

A toothache can have causes that are not due to underlying disease. Toothache causes may include getting something stuck in between the teeth, flossing, biting into something hard, or braces. Remember, in children, tooth pain is a regular part of the developmental process.

Common Toothache Causes:

  • Tooth decay
  • Inflammation of tooth pulp
  • Tooth fracture or broken tooth
  • Sensitive Teeth
  • Damaged filling
  • Abscessed tooth
  • Infected gums or gum disease
  • Impacted tooth
  • Repetitive motions, such as grinding teeth or chewing gum
  • Sinus congestion or infection (non-dental related issues)

Related Articles:

Common Symptoms of a Toothache:

  • Tooth pain that may be constant, throbbing, or sharp
  • Tooth pain while chewing
  • Pain results only when pressure is applied to the tooth, for some people
  • Foul-tasting drainage from the tooth infection
  • Cold or hot sensitivity when eating or drinking
  • Swelling in your jaw or around the tooth
  • Bleeding or discharge from around a tooth or gums
  • Headache or fever
  • Trauma or injury to the area

When do I need to see a Dentist About my Toothache?

We recommend seeing your dentist as soon as possible about your toothache if:

  • Your toothache is severe
  • You have consistent tooth pain that lasts longer than 1 or 2 days
  • Inflammation increases
  • Swelling occurs around your jaw or face
  • Redness occurs around the gums or your gums are bleeding
  • You have an earache or fever
  • If you notice that a tooth is cracked, broken, or chipped
  • You experience pain upon opening your mouth wide
  • Dull, persistent pain can be a sign of something that will get worse if not treated
  • You’ve suffered a recent trauma to your face or mouth

How do I stop my tooth from throbbing?

Try these self-care tips for some temporary relief, while you’re waiting to see your dentist:

  • Rinse your mouth with warm salt water
  • Floss gently to remove built up plaque or food in between teeth
  • Apply a cold compress to your cheek or jaw
  • Take an over-the-counter pain medication, like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), acetaminophen (Tylenol), and aspirin can relieve minor pain
  • Numbing gels or pastes, such as benzocaine, can help to dull the pain

When I Go to the Dentist for a Toothache, what happens?

Your dentist will conduct a dental exam first. He or she will ask you questions about the pain, such as:

  • when the pain started
  • how severe it is
  • where the pain is located
  • what makes the pain worse and what makes it better
  • does the pain wake you up in the middle of the night

Your dentist will examine:

  • your mouth, teeth and gums
  • tongue, jaws and throat
  • sinuses, nose, ears and neck

X-rays may be taken as well as other tests, depending on what your dentist suspects is causing your toothache.

What Treatments Are Available for a Toothache?

Treatment for a toothache depends on the cause or source of pain. If a cavity is causing the toothache, your dentist will remove the decay or infection, fill the cavity or possibly extract the tooth (only if there is no way to save the tooth).

A root canal may be necessary if the cause of the toothache is from an infection of the tooth’s nerve. Bacteria that have worked their way into the inner areas of the tooth cause that type of infection. Your dentist may prescribe an antibiotic, if there is swelling or fever in the jaw to get rid of the infection.

Related Articles:

Root Canal Treatment: Root Canal Myths Debunked

Tooth Extraction: Reasons for Pulling Teeth

How Can Toothaches Be Prevented?

Tooth decay causes most toothaches, so following a good oral hygiene routine can prevent most toothaches.

Practices of good oral hygiene consist of:

  • brush teeth twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste
  • floss daily
  • rinse once or twice each day with an antiseptic mouthwash
  • see your dentist twice a year for professional exam and cleaning

Gently brushing your teeth with a soft-bristle brush and fluoride toothpaste will remove the bacteria and plaque that are toothache causes to begin with. In addition to these practices, ask your dentist about fluoride treatments and sealant applications and make healthy snack, food, and beverage choices that are low in sugar.

Related Articles:

Why is it important to schedule your Dental Exam Twice Each Year?

Dental Health Services for Your Children

Dr. Gary P. Skrobanek and his experienced, friendly team at GPS Dental offer affordable family dentistry and gentle dental care in the San Antonio, TX area. Our office is conveniently located and offers early morning appointment times Monday through Friday to meet your needs. At GPS Dental, we provide most dental services, from family and general dentistry to dental implants, sleep apnea, TMJ / TMD Treatment, cosmetic dentistry and much more. We accept most dental insurance plans and offer affordable financial solutions for any budget. Call us at (210) 633-3477 to make an appointment.

Root Canal Treatment: Root Canal Myths Debunked

Posted by Genny Skrobanek on February 18, 2020

Have you had a root canal in the past? If so, it probably wasn’t as bad as you thought it was going to be. Did you think it was going to hurt like crazy, only to experience not much more pain than that of having a cavity filled? Did the immense pain you were experiencing before your dental appointment go away after your root canal procedure?

Want to know why? Maybe the information you were getting was incorrect, maybe you were hearing root canal myths … they’re pretty common.

We thought we’d explain more about … the famous root canal. The symptoms you may be experiencing if you’re in need of a root canal. And, we’d like to debunk some of the root canal myths that are most common.

What is a root canal procedure?

Under the hard, outer layer of enamel and dentin is a soft tissue known as pulp that houses the blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue. Root canal treatment is a procedure used to treat a cracked, diseased or infected tooth.

A root canal procedure is a treatment used to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or becomes infected. During a root canal procedure, the nerve and pulp are removed, and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed.

Without treatment, the tissue surrounding the tooth will become infected and abscesses may form. Additional surgical procedures could be necessary, including removal of the tooth.

Related Article: Root Canal Treatment: We’re Answering Your Questions

How do you know if you need a root canal?

Signs You Need a Root Canal include:

  • Serious teeth pain when eating or when you put pressure on the area
  • Teeth pain and sensitivity to hot or cold that lingers after the hot or cold stimuli have been removed
  • A small, pimple-like bump on the gums near the area of teeth pain
  • Darkening of the tooth

Related Article: 5 Common Reasons You Have Tooth Pain after Root Canal

5 Root Canal Myths Debunked:

1. Root Canal Treatment is Painful

Most root canals are virtually pain free! Root canal treatment in fact removes the inflamed and infected pulp of the tooth, which is the source of the pain most have been feeling. Advancements in training, technology, anesthesia, and equipment make the modern root canal treatment much more comfortable than procedures of the past.

2. It’s Easier and Better to Have the Tooth Pulled

Most people think that tooth extraction is better as it is quicker, but this is just not true. If you opt for extraction, you will also need further procedures to replace the missing tooth. By extracting the tooth and replacing it, you will need to make several visits, and spend additional money. If you choose to extract a tooth and not replace it your teeth can shift to fill the open space, causing further damage over time.

Related Article: Tooth Extraction: Reasons for Pulling Teeth

3. Root Canal Treatment Requires Several Visits

Root canal treatment usually requires 1 to 3 visits. It is basically the condition of the tooth that determines the number of visits required.

4. Root Canal Treatment Is Not Often Successful

Root canal treatment has a very high success rate. As long as the tooth and surrounding gums are kept healthy with good oral hygiene, the natural tooth can last lifetime.

5. Root Canal Treatment Causes Illness

Root canal treatments are done to remove bad bacteria from the infected part of the mouth and work to prevent reinfection. Treating the tooth may be the only way to stop an infection from moving from your tooth into other areas of your body through your bloodstream and alleviate the pain you are likely experiencing. A root canal procedure is designed to fight infection, not cause it.

GPS Dental Can Help

We hope that discussing this information about root canals and some of the most common root canal myths about this common treatment has helped to ease some of your fears about the procedure. If you need a root canal, please contact our office today! Dr. Skrobanek and the dental experts at GPS Dental are here to help!

Dr. Gary P. Skrobanek’s experienced and friendly team at GPS Dental offers affordable dental care for all ages in San Antonio, TX area. Our Brooks City Base dentist office is conveniently located and offers early morning appointment times Monday through Friday to meet your needs. At GPS Dental, we promote dental health awareness to our patients and provide most dental services, from family and general dentistry to dental implants, sleep apnea, TMJ / TMD Treatment, cosmetic dentistry and much more. We accept most dental insurance plans and offer affordable financial solutions for any budget. Call us at 210-633-3477 to make an appointment.

5 Common Reasons You Have Tooth Pain after Root Canal

Posted by Genny Skrobanek on August 28, 2018

tooth-pain-after-root-canal

A root canal is a common procedure that dentists perform to treat certain types of tooth pain. During the procedure, the dentist will carefully remove dead, infected, and damaged pulp from the inside of the affected tooth (developed teeth can survive without the pulp), thereby eliminating the source of the pain.

Although this procedure is highly effective for treating pain, sometimes patients still experience tooth pain after root canal, and today we’ll tell you five of the most common reasons why.

  1. Tooth Pain After Root Canal: Post-Procedure Inflammation

One of the most common causes of post-root canal tooth pain is inflammation, which can be caused by the procedure itself or because the infection caused the tooth ligament to become swollen. In these cases, the swelling will subside in the days and weeks following the root canal, and the pain will resolve on its own.

 

  1. Tooth Pain After Root Canal: Infection

A root canal is often performed to remove infected pulp from inside the tooth, so it’s possible that there’s still some bacteria present after the procedure, and this can lead to infected tissue and more pain. Like with swelling, the problem should resolve itself once your immune system attacks and kills the bacteria, but if the problem persists, your doctor or dentist may recommend antibiotics.

 

  1. Tooth Pain After Root Canal: Fillings That Are Too Large

After your dentist removes the pulp from inside your tooth, the empty space is filled with a rubber-like material. If too much filling material is used, however, it will cause the tooth to sit higher, and this will cause pain any time you bite down. Although this problem won’t resolve on its own, your dentist can fix the issue easily by adjusting the filling.

 

  1. Tooth Pain After Root Canal: An Incomplete Root Canal

Some teeth, especially the molars, can have multiple canals, and it’s possible for a dentist to miss one or more of these during the procedure. In these instances, the initial cause of the pain never gets fixed, so you’ll still experience pain even after the root canal. Similarly, if the dentist happens to miss any of the damaged nerves inside the tooth that need to be removed, you may still experience pain when that tooth comes in contact with heat, cold, or something acidic.

 

  1. Tooth Pain After Root Canal: Damage to the Surrounding Tissue

During the root canal, tissue damage can occur if bacteria is accidentally injected into the surrounding tissue, if too much filling material is used and flows past the root tip, or if a file used to clean the inside of the tooth slips beyond the root tip and pokes into the tissue below. In these cases, the pain will disappear when the damaged tissue heals.

 

Root canals are an effective method for addressing problems caused by damaged or infected pulp, and this procedure is usually effective at eliminating tooth pain. However, if your tooth pain persists after the root canal, these are common issues that might explain the problem. In most cases, the tooth pain will resolve on its own, but if the pain is excessive or continues for more than five days, consult a dental professional as soon as possible.

Related Article: Brooks City Base Dentist: GPS Spotlight on Dr. Gary Skrobanek

 

Dr. Gary P. Skrobanek’s experienced and friendly team at GPS Dental offers family dentistry for all ages in San Antonio, TX area. Our Brooks City Base dentist office is conveniently located and offers early morning appointment times Monday through Friday to meet your needs. At GPS Dental, we promote dental health awareness to our patients and provide most dental services, from family and general dentistry to dental implants, sleep apnea, TMJ / TMD Treatment, cosmetic dentistry and much more. We accept most dental insurance plans and offer affordable financial solutions for any budget. Call us at (210) 633-3477 to make an appointment.