Dealing with discomfort can become a bit confusing. You don’t want to overreact, of course, but you also don’t want to avoid care when you need it. The best thing to remind yourself is that without a dental visit with us, you cannot make any final diagnoses on your own, so scheduling an appointment is never a waste of time. As for some helpful specifics about what might be going on, we offer a bit of help.
If your tooth hurts but it’s not severe, you can give yourself about 48 hours to see if the discomfort goes away. If it persists, you may have an infection or cavity that requires care.
If it goes away, it’s possible your tooth was simply irritated. When in doubt, call us to schedule a dental visit.
Are you noticing that you’re dealing with discomfort in the tissues or muscles that surround your oral cavity? You think of the pain as “muscular” in nature, whether it’s in your jaw joints, your face, your neck, shoulders, or your back? This may point to a functional disorder like TMJ disorder or bruxism. Set up a dental visit, so we can help you get the problem under control.
Did you find a bump or lump? Are you noticing that something in your mouth feels bad but you don’t really know what’s happening? Maybe your gums feel tender as the result of gingivitis or hard brushing. As you may have noticed, discomfort is not a simple sign of a particular problem. Instead, it’s just a warning sign that it’s time to see us for a dental visit, so we can restore your oral health.