Tooth pain is not easy to ignore. Even mild pain is a constant distraction, and severe pain is debilitating. Seeing a dentist as soon as possible is a must to treat your pain and prevent infections from spreading. Emergency root canal therapies are virtually painless, simple procedures that are often necessary to address tooth pain. If your pain gets severe over the weekend, don’t worry. You can find a dentist open on Saturday in Phoenix, AZ that can fit you in for an emergency appointment.
What Causes Toothaches?
Most toothaches occur when a tooth’s sensitive pulp is exposed to irritants like hot and cold food, pressure and inflammation from infection or damage from decay.
Teeth have several layers:
- Enamel: The hard, protective outer layer.
- Dentin: The softer, porous inner layer. Microscopic tubes in the dentin lead straight to the pulp.
- Pulp: The sensitive core tissue composed of nerves and blood vessels.
When your dentin is exposed, irritants and bacteria have a direct line to your tooth pulp and its delicate nerves. Common culprits are things like tooth decay, gum disease and broken teeth. Tooth decay and gum disease eat away at your enamel until the dentin is exposed. Deep cracks and breaks expose the dentin and sometimes the pulp directly.
Toothaches and Abscesses
Mild and moderate tooth pain can have a variety of causes, but severe pain is often accompanied by a dental abscess. An abscess is a pocket of infection that forms between your tooth and either the gums or tooth’s root. Abscesses create unrelenting gnawing, throbbing, sharp or shooting pain that may not respond well to over-the-counter pain medication.
Abscesses occur when bacteria, often from tooth decay like an untreated cavity, is able to reach and infect the tooth pulp. The pain is so severe because the infection is attacking your tooth’s nerve fibers directly. Left untreated, these infections can travel to your jaw bone and even to your heart.
Other symptoms of abscesses include:
- Pain when chewing
- Oral sensitivity to hot and cold
- Bitter taste
- Bad breath
- General feelings of discomfort or illness
- Fever
- Swollen neck glands
- Swelling of the jaw or gums
- An obvious sore on the gums
- Severe tooth pain that suddenly stops, a possible indication of pulp and root death
If you suspect an abscess, contact your dentist immediately. Even on weekends, emergency dentists open on Saturday in Phoenix, AZ can to accommodate you. Quick treatment is important for preserving the tooth and preventing the infection from spreading.
Root Canal Therapy Isn’t Scary
Many people are filled with dread when they hear the words “root canal,” but there’s no need for alarm. It’s bad reputation is a relic of bygone days before dental technology and anesthetics improved. Modern root canal therapy is performed with extensive local anesthetics, and most procedures are virtually painless.
Typical anesthesia preparation goes as follows:
1. A wipe-on, topical anesthetic is used to numb the surface of the gum and start numbing the tooth. It’s given time to set in to help make you more comfortable when the local anesthetic is administered.
2. Injections of local anesthetic are administered to numb the root pulp. By advancing the needle carefully, your dentist is able to numb the surrounding area as the needle goes in, helping make this process more comfortable as well.
3. For severe infections, deeper injections may be administered around the bone and tooth root.
4. Your dentist will give the local anesthetic time to fully set in. More will be administered as needed during your procedure.
5. If you’re especially nervous and have a ride to and from the office, sedation dentistry may be available. Ask when you call.
When root canal therapy is recommended, it’s designed to treat the cause of your pain directly. Your dentist removes all the nerve-filled pulp from the center of the afflicted tooth. In fact, the most common sensation felt during the procedure is pressure. You may also need your abscess drained, a course of antibiotics to clear up infection or to be fitted with a dental crown to protect your preserved tooth.
Finding a Dentist Open on Saturday in Phoenix, AZ
When you’re experiencing oral pain, you don’t have to suffer for days before you can get an appointment. Dentists recognize the importance of treating pain and potential infection swiftly. At Sky Dental Alliance, we have three locations with rotating, extended schedules designed to accommodate busy lives and dental emergencies.
In addition to having early morning and evening appointments, Sky Dental is also an emergency dentist open on Saturday in Phoenix, AZ. If you’re experiencing oral pain, call us now to schedule an appointment.