There are several reasons why you can have mouth pain, and our dentist can examine your mouth to find problems that are affecting your oral health. During a dental office visit, you will likely need medical images of your mouth to understand if the discomfort is caused by an issue deeper in the tissues of your face. It is possible to have multiple problems that are leading to mouth pain, but our dentist is able to provide treatments or procedures to help you feel better. Here are some of the causes for mouth pain.
1. Cavities in Your Teeth
Having cavities in the teeth is one of the most common reasons for pain in the mouth. Our dentist can see tooth decay to begin treatment immediately. For a smaller cavity, a filling made from metal or a composite resin can keep food debris, saliva and air from entering the cavity. If you have a larger cavity, then it is possible that you will need a root canal surgery before a customized dental crown is placed over the tooth. This will also prevent any additional discomfort in your mouth.
2. Canker Sores in the Mouth
If you have one or more canker sores in your mouth, then you will have pain. As saliva touches the canker sore, you will feel a burning sensation, and you will experience the same issues while eating food or swallowing beverages. Canker sores have a variety of causes, including:
- Changes in your hormone levels
- Several types of viruses
- Vitamin deficiencies
- Reaction to stress
- Allergies to foods
To relieve your discomfort, our dentist can prescribe oral ointments or mouth rinses that will numb the canker sores. Most of these painful canker sores disappear within two weeks.
3. Cracked or Broken Tooth
An injury to a tooth can lead to excruciating pain, but our dentist can find tooth damage with an examination of your mouth. By repairing a damaged tooth, we can eliminate the pain in your mouth. To fix a broken or cracked tooth, you will likely need a root canal along with a dental crown. This is an emergency procedure that is performed right away so that your mouth pain will disappear within a few days.
4. Gum Disease
When you have gum disease, you will notice several symptoms, including swollen and bleeding tissues around your teeth. As gingivitis progresses, the pain in your mouth will increase, making daily living difficult. Alleviating the mouth pain from gum disease requires eliminating the bacteria from your mouth along with removing the infected tissues. Our dentist can anesthetize you while the diseased tissues are cut away. Treatment for gum disease requires multiple visits to our dental office until all of the infection is eliminate.
5. Jaw Joint Disorders
If you have mouth pain in the jaw’s joints, then you may have temporomandibular joint dysfunction. This condition leads to pain in the mouth because the joints of the jaw are inflamed. This inflammation is due to the degradation of the cartilage in the joints, making it painful to open and close your mouth. With this condition, you are more likely to have pain in the morning when you wake up. There are treatments for temporomandibular joint dysfunction, including wearing splints on your teeth at night or having injections of a neurotoxin in the jaw’s joints.
6. A Dislocated Tooth
An accident can dislocate a tooth in your mouth, leading to discomfort. If you have a dislocated tooth, then you need treatment right away. Our dentist can insert a tooth into the socket before stabilizing it with wires that are attached to the nearby teeth. In some cases, a dislocated tooth can reestablish blood supply, helping to restore the tooth to perfect health. If the tooth won’t revive, then our dentist can perform a dental implant procedure.
7. Dry Mouth Syndrome
If the salivary glands in your mouth aren’t manufacturing enough saliva, then you will a dry mouth condition. This can lead to a burning or painful condition in your mouth, making it difficult to swallow food. Without enough saliva, you are more likely to have other oral health issues in your mouth. There are mouthwashes and oral medications that can alleviate a dry mouth condition, helping to reduce your pain.
Call Our Dentist Today to Learn More about Your Mouth Pain
At Dental Specialty Associates, our dentists offer complete examinations with X-rays to determine what is wrong with your teeth, gums or alveolar bones. We can determine what is causing your mouth pain to perform a procedure to help you feel better. You don’t need to live with discomfort in your mouth with our modern dental treatments. Call us today to schedule an appointment to overcome the pain in your mouth.
