Yup we’ve all had those mornings where we wake up and ouch, something’s wrong. Toothache. It’s the worst. Quickly our brains run through all the worst-case scenarios and we suddenly see images of fillings and tooth extractions but often it’s never this bad and a quick visit to your Dentist in St John’s Wood will put your mind at ease. Before you get to the appointment though, here are a few reasons you could experience toothache and what you should be looking out for.
Tooth Decay
Did you know that it was reported that 31% of adults experience tooth decay? Yup, that’s a lot. It’s super common that tooth decay is a cause of tooth pain and if your teeth have all of a sudden started to cause you grief this could be why.
Tooth decay can happen for a whole host of reasons but more often than not it’s because people aren’t keeping up with a thorough enough oral health routine. When germs get lodged between teeth and gums, it starts to release nasty acids that do damage to the tooth’s surface and then begin to attach to the tooth, before too long infections and all sorts can happen. In most cases, it’s an easy fix, but best get in contact with your dental expert sooner rather than later.
Your tooth enamel is in trouble
Here’s another fun fact, it’s said that over two million adults in the UK haven’t been to the dentist in ten years. So it could well be that there are lots of people out there who have no idea what kind of health their tooth enamel is in.
Tooth enamel is a protective layer that guards your tooth’s surface against daily activities – we take for granted how much teeth have to put up with chewing, biting, and grinding, they’ve got a big job. Enamel can weaken over time and even chip and crack and we don’t want that.
Enamel erosion happens when acids wear it down, acids are in so many things we consume that we humans love. Fizzy drinks, fruit, and sweeties over time can have serious implications for our teeth without us realising. This is why it’s so important to visit your Dentist in St John’s Wood for regular checkups. So if you’ve just had a nice cold glass of water and experienced a sharp twang in your tooth, it’s time to pay the dentist a visit.
Grrrrrr Grinding
Facts seem to be our thing now so here’s a new one: people who grind their teeth can exert up to 113kg of force onto their own teeth, which is roughly the same weight as a moon bear. Yup a whole bear – a small one but still a whole bear.
Teeth grinding is also known as Bruxism and the repeating action of grinding can cause tooth sensitivity as it wears down the tooth’s enamel, we already know why this is a bad thing. It’s reported that 10% of the population is affected by tooth grinding and it’s causes can be anything, the tricky part is finding out if you’re someone who does grind which is why it can be tricky to know if this is what’s causing your pain. But never fear a quick visit to your dentist will likely be able to solve this question for you.
