Why It's Important to Treat an Impacted Tooth

A pleasant smile can go a long way, but it can be hampered once a growing tooth becomes impacted. Since an impacted tooth cannot grow correctly due to its placement under the gum, this nuisance can be very painful to the point of being unbearable for some people. The tooth most commonly impacted is the wisdom tooth. This is usually due to the person’s bone structure – the jaw does not have enough space to accommodate the wisdom tooth.

Treatment of an impacted tooth will depend on its severity, condition, and position. One treatment option is to administer a fixed orthodontic brace to align the tooth. Another option is to completely remove the tooth to decrease pressure and lessen the risk of overcrowding.

If the impacted wisdom tooth is not removed, it can lead to Pericoronitis or the infection of surrounding tissues. This condition can trigger fever, bad breath, jaw problems, pain when swallowing, or swollen lymph nodes. Tooth decay is likely to happen as well since dental plaque can form between the impacted tooth and the tooth adjacent to it.

Don't let an impacted tooth bring pain to your life. You have the option to have it fixed or removed. The best solution is to visit a trusted dentist that offers general or cosmetic dentistry for proper evaluation and treatment.

Dealing with a Toothache

You are getting ready for bed and you pick up your e-Reader to catch up on a fascinating novel. Suddenly, a jolting pain strikes your left molars, and you think that your love for cake pops, a popular sweet treat in Georgia, has finally caught up with you. You wait a while for the pain to go away, but instead, it becomes even worse. If this pain keeps up, you'll likely be up all night.

Since it is late at night, one of the few options to relieve yourself of toothache is to rely on home remedies. One of these is to hold an ice cube or cold water in your mouth. However, this doesn't always work, and if it worsens the situation, then try another option. You can rinse your mouth with warm water, like rinsing with mouth wash, to reduce the pain, but make sure that the water is not too warm as it can aggravate the pain.

If those two above options don't work, try putting an ice pack on your cheek. Let the ice pack stay for five to seven minutes to numb the pain. You can also try taking over-the-counter anesthetics. Doing both things only provide temporary relief, though. For a more permanent and long-term relief, it is best to head to a trusted dentist to find out why your tooth aches and what to do with it.