Do you have a niggling toothache? One you keep putting off dealing with because it’s not that bad? Hold up. Now is the time to dial the number for your dentist in Alexandria. A small toothache is a warning signal that something is wrong. Something that can lead to severe pain, infection and a nasty dental bill further down the line, if left untreated. Treat it now and you could face a small filling. Ignore it and you could face a root canal, or even lose your tooth altogether. As a rule of thumb, it’s less traumatic and easier on the pocket to get dental pain dealt with quickly by your dentist in Alexandria.

What makes teeth hurt?
Toothache usually occurs when you have a hole in your enamel. This exposes the sensitive layer of tooth underneath it called dentin. This dentin layer is softer than your enamel and can quickly develop a cavity when attacked by bacteria or acids in your mouth. By nature, this cavity will grow deeper, heading towards the pulpy centre of your tooth. The pulp contains the blood vessels and nerves of your tooth. If your cavity gets deep enough to hit this pulp it can be very painful. It’s common for a cavity to be well hidden. A hole in your enamel can be barely visible, yet underneath, there can be a large area of decay.

Getting to the bottom of your toothache
Here at the Healthy Smile Centre, your dentist in Alexandria can get to the bottom of your toothache. We’ll check your teeth, and if necessary, take x-rays to see if decay is developing under the surface. If you’ve not left the toothache for too long, hopefully you’ll only need a small filling. However, if you have decay reaching far into the core of your tooth, you could need a root canal treatment. A root canal treatment involves removing the pulp of your tooth along with any infection or bacteria that’s lurking inside it. Once this has been removed, your tooth can be re-sealed and restored with a filling or crown, depending how much of your original tooth is left.