The Dangers Of A Painful Cavity

Are you currently dealing with a cavity that is very painful? Are you trying to cope with the pain by taking drugs for pain relief? It's possible that you have a very serious cavity, and you need to visit your dentist soon to have the tooth examined. Here are the dangers of having a painful cavity, and what your dentist will do about it to fix the problem.

How Are Cavities Dangerous?

If the cavity is causing you a lot of pain, it's possible that it is causing damage to your tooth's pulp chamber. Every tooth has three layers making up its construction: the pulp chamber, dentin, and enamel. When cavities form in the tooth's enamel, a hole can go past the layer of dentin and eventually reach the tooth's pulp chamber. Once the tooth's pulp chamber is exposed to bacteria, serious problems can occur. An abscess could develop due to the bacteria that got inside, which is toxic pus that forms a lump.

Once that abscess develops, a cavity can easily become dangerous and painful, potentially affecting areas beyond your mouth. If the dental abscess bursts, the toxins from the pus could get into your bloodstream. This happens because there are blood vessels in your tooth's pulp chamber.

Nerves found inside the tooth's pulp chamber can also become damaged if the cavity is not treated. A dead nerve can make you unable to feel pain in that area, and you won't know that the tooth needs treatment, resulting in even more damage.

How Are Painful Cavities Treated?

The tooth will have to be examined by your dentist before they can treat the cavity. They will take an x-ray in order to find out if there is damage in your jawbone. If the jawbone is not healthy, it could mean that you have periodontal disease. A dentist will most likely prescribe you antibiotics for this type of problem.

For cavities that have not spread to the tooth's pulp chamber, there should not be a dental abscess. Your dentist will treat the cavity by filling it. If there is an abscess, a root canal will be necessary to remove the dead nerves, as well as blood vessels that are damaged in the tooth's pulp chamber.

The earlier you catch a cavity, the less complications there will be. That's why it is so important to visit a dentist for regular checkups, and to make a special appointment if you are experiencing dental-related pain.