If you’ve ever had a toothache, then the memory of it may be enough for you to want to avoid ever having to deal with another one. For patients who experience one, a severe toothache can be one of the most extreme forms of discomfort, enough to make them miss school or work to visit their dentists and resolve it. The good news is that many of the common causes of toothaches can usually be prevented before they can cause any discomfort. Today, we take a look at a few of these causes, and how you can improve your chances of preventing them from causing a chronic toothache.
What makes a tooth hurt?
When a tooth starts to grow sensitive, there can be many different potential reasons for it. When it’s healthy, a tooth is protected by the most resilient substance your body produces, known as enamel. By effectively shielding your more sensitive main tooth structure from things like oral bacteria, food, and beverages, your healthy tooth enamel can prevent the visible crowns of your teeth from feeling any irritation. If your tooth does start to become sensitive, it may be because the enamel has grown weak around the tooth, a common consequences of excess oral bacteria buildup.
A few good preventive techniques
- Taking daily hygiene seriously – Your tooth enamel is your main defense against tooth sensitivity, and your daily hygiene routine is your main strategy for keeping it strong and healthy. The greatest threat to healthy tooth enamel is often the harmful substances oral bacteria produce. By controlling bacteria and plaque buildup on your teeth, you can largely reduce your risks of them leading to a chronic toothache.
- Avoiding things that weaken your teeth – Bacteria produce substances like acids that weaken your tooth enamel after metabolizing less harmful nutrients in your food and beverages. The more often you provide these bacteria with nutrients, the more of these substances they can produce. In addition to keeping your teeth clean with good hygiene, you can also keep your enamel strong by limiting how often you snack throughout the day.
- Actively strengthening your teeth – Avoiding things like sugar can help you avoid the excessive release of acids and other harmful substances that could weaken your tooth enamel. However, boosting your consumption of healthy minerals and nutrients, especially calcium, can also boost the strength and resilience of your healthy tooth enamel. Sticking to a healthy diet is as important as sticking to a good dental hygiene routine when it comes to helping you prevent issues that could lead to tooth sensitivity.
Learn more about preventing a toothache
Toothaches can potentially result from a number of different things. Fortunately, most of them are preventable with the right level of care and maintenance. To learn more, schedule an appointment by calling Allen & Neumann Family Dentistry in Pella, IA, today at (641) 628-1121.