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Intermittent Toothache Symptoms Case Study
A patient named Stacey, age 27, called us last month and
reported that she was suffering from an intermittent and annoying toothache.
The symptoms were not consistent, and did not appear to have a definite
pattern. Sometimes the tooth would ache while drinking hot or cold drinks,
while at other times it would be fine. She also told us that most of the time
when she chewed food, there were no symptoms of a toothache. However, she often
felt a dull aching pain strike the side of her mouth at unpredictable times
during the workday, which made it difficult for her to concentrate, and which
was making her irritable toward her coworkers. She asked us if we could
diagnose the cause of this pain and provide a treatment that would stop these
unpredictable bouts with discomfort.
While it may sound a bit surprising to some readers,
Stacey’s case is not unusual. While many people assume that a toothache is just
that—i.e.: a tooth that aches with intense, chronic pain all the time—there are
just as many cases where the symptoms are less severe, but nonetheless
troubling. Intermittent teeth problems are very similar to a mild headache that
lingers for hours, causing just enough pain to keep the mind from focusing and
the body relaxing. The sporadic and unpredictable nature of many toothache
symptoms make it hard for people to enjoy daily life, because they never know
when the next round of pain is about to begin, what they should and shouldn’t
eat, and what they might say impulsively to the wrong person in a state of
agitation.
Regardless of the severity of the symptoms, toothaches tend
to be caused by problems deep within the tooth. Even if the pain is not
crippling from a physical standpoint, it is almost always an indicator that the
root below the gumline has deteriorated to the point that a root canal will be
necessary. This often happens when old silver-mercury fillings fall out without
the patient’s knowledge. Decay then sets in, which ultimately works its way all
the way down to the root. This is the most common of our dental emergencies
here at the Cosmetic Dentistry Center. Even if the pain is not acute and
consistent, the symptoms can become much worse very quickly, and more severe
issues such as an abscess can develop.
A thorough examination of Stacey’s case history revealed a
number of fillings during her childhood and early adolescence. A further,
closer look with our intraoral camera revealed that one of these fillings had
falling out, and decay had indeed gone down through the tooth and was in the
process of killing the root. Even though the symptoms of Stacey’s toothache
were relatively mild and sporadic, this was deceptive. When a root is dying
like this, pain is not always overwhelming until the very last moment. At this
point, severe infection that can lead to an abscess has often set in, and the
problem is now compounded by bacterial infection.
Fortunately, this had not happened to Stacey. We had
caught the situation in time to treat her case with a simple a root canal and
dental crown. This is by far the safest course of action in any instance where
the interior of a tooth becomes infected at the root level. It is important
that people like Stacey suffering from only intermittent symptoms of a toothache
seek professional treatment as soon as possible. The possibility of an abscess
can never be taken lightly, because abscesses have been known to cause fatal
infections when left too long. Taking firm measures early on deals with the
cause of a toothache as well as its symptoms, and eliminates concerns of both
worst case scenarios and daily discomfort once and for all.
We are a cosmetic dentistry company located in Houston, Texas. We service clients throughout all 50
states into cities like Houston, Texas, Scottsdale, Arizona, Seattle, Washington
(SEA),
Los Angeles, CA (LAX) Boston, Massachusetts
(BOS),
Princeton, NJ (EWR), Philadelphia, PA (PHL), Dallas, Texas (DWF), Chicago, IL (ORD),
Baltimore, MD (BWI), and Minneapolis, MN (MSP). We also service clients
internationally, including Canada, Middle East, Asia,
Europe, Australia, Mexico, Central America, and South America.
For
any other questions related to cosmetic dentistry, you can contact us at
888.790.0309 or feel free to
Ask the Dentist.
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Dentistry Center Regional Coverage
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