toothaches

Consequences of Neglecting Tooth Pain

As any dentist in Albuquerque will tell you…toothaches are serious and should be taken care of by a dentist immediately. The truth of this statement is supported by what happened recently to a man who experienced health consequences from complications connected to his painful toothache…
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Daniel Murtagh, 29, suffered months of weight loss, exhaustion and body aches – which doctors believed was HIV. But blood tests revealed a super-bug had traveled around his body and eaten away at a valve in his heart. Medics discovered the infection had come from bacteria on a mildly-inflamed wisdom tooth that was causing him slight pain. Doctors immediately pulled it out before performing a seven-hour operation on his heart to give him a prosthetic valve. But Mr Murtagh was told that if he had left his condition another week he would probably have died.

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As this incident makes clear, it is so important to take care of your teeth, keep them clean, see your dentist for cleanings and X-rays…and always see your dentist if you have any discomfort at all – even if you think its minor.

The moral of this story is that tooth pain ALWAYS indicates something needs attention. You do not want something in your mouth to cause a major infection in your body that could lead to significant problems, even death. So, if you are experiencing a toothache or any other type of dental emergency, call a dentist in Albuquerque right away.

Do You Need an Emergency Tooth Extraction?

Dental emergencies can show up in a couple of different forms. We understand that sometimes accidents happen suddenly and you have a dental emergency that may even require some oral surgery if you need a tooth extracted. There are other times where a mild pain can be easily ignored (even though you should never ignore tooth pain) and then suddenly the pain and swelling flares up, creating an emergency.

While the truth is that you can never be 100% sure if you need a tooth removed because of infection, accident, or because of long neglect, there are several signs to look for that can give you a hint and might be time to take out that problem tooth.

Tooth Extraction Due to Wisdom Teeth Coming In

A woman with a painful toothacheOne of the first potential signs is if you have wisdom teeth growing in. The majority of people will not only have wisdom teeth, but will need them removed because they come in and crowd other teeth or damage the root system. We’ve seen plenty of cases where one wisdom tooth could have a negative domino affect on multiple teeth on that side of your mouth. Getting wisdom teeth removed is never a bad idea.

Tooth Extraction Due to Severe Toothache

Another obvious sign is severe pain, especially if there is swelling or blood around the gums and surrounding tissue area. This could be a sign of damaged roots, severe tooth damage that’s too bad to fix, or even the severe infection. All of these things are an indication that you need dental work, but depending on the severity the damage you may need an emergency tooth extraction.

While we understand the nervousness that many people have when going to the dentist, we strongly encourage you to come in at the first sign of damage or problem. While you might be nervous about the news, ignoring it will only make things much worse and if you have a tooth that needs to be removed because of infection you need to know that in severe circumstances that can become fatal if left untreated.

Find a dentist in Albuquerque to help you get an emergency tooth extraction in ABQ.