Facial pain is a common symptom that can be the result of numerous problems, such as physical trauma, neurological disorders, and more. But did you know that it may also indicate an oral health condition? This blog post lists some dental emergencies that can cause facial pain and provides practical tips on how you may be able to find relief.
Dental Abscess
A dental abscess is a pocket of pus that forms in response to an infection. A severe toothache is a common symptom of an abscess, but the discomfort can also spread into the jaw and surrounding areas of the face.
If you see a pimple-like bump on your gums and are experiencing facial pain, it is quite likely that you have an abscess. This is a true emergency, and you should request a dental appointment right away. Otherwise, the infection might spread and cause systemic illness.
Treatment for a dental abscess may involve antibiotics, a root canal, or even tooth removal.
Dry Socket
If you have recently undergone a tooth extraction, you should be alert for signs of dry socket. This is a complication that occurs when the blood clot at the site of an extraction gets prematurely dislodged or fails to form. It can cause pain in the empty socket and in the nearby portions of the face.
To address this problem, your dentist may clean the empty socket and place a medicated dressing on it. Recovery usually takes 7 – 10 days or so.
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD)
Your temporomandibular joint, also known as your TMJ, controls movements of your lower jaw. When it gets damaged or overworked, you may experience many different symptoms, including jaw pain, facial pain, and more.
Symptoms of TMD may eventually go away without professional treatment. However, they are likely to keep recurring if you do not address their underlying cause. In order to find long-term relief, you might need a special nightguard from a dentist or another type of therapy to help relax your jaw joint.
Bruxism
Bruxism is the habit of grinding and clenching your teeth. If you do this while asleep, you may have no control over it, and it may cause significant pain in your jaw, teeth, and face. While bruxism is not an extremely urgent emergency, it should receive timely treatment. Otherwise, your teeth might be subject to serious damage.
The most common treatment for bruxism is a special mouthguard that places a protective barrier between the teeth during sleep.
Facial pain can indicate that your oral health is in trouble! If you are experiencing this symptom, seek professional care as soon as you can.
Meet the Practice
At Charm Smile Dental, our team has great empathy for anyone who is experiencing the pain and uncertainty of a dental emergency. That is why we do our best to accommodate urgent cases as soon as possible. If you are struggling with facial pain that you believe is related to an oral health problem, call our Concord, NH, office at 603-228-0123.