Which Dental Emergencies Cause Facial Pain?

It’s normal to feel facial pain now and again. After all, little aches and twinges are a natural part of life. Still, this discomfort can get serious at times. Once in a while, the issue can signal a dental emergency! You’ll thus want to know when the pain warrants a dental visit. Fortunately, your local Fairfax dentist can help. To that end, here are three oral problems that cause face pain, their symptoms, and why they need an emergency dentist.

Which Dental Emergencies Cause Facial Pain?

True enough, feeling pain in your face isn’t that abnormal. Still, the causes of those aches sometimes count as dental emergencies. The ones that do include the following:

Dental Abscess

A dental abscess is an infection of your tooth’s pulp or soft insides. The condition occurs when bacteria reach a pearly white’s nerves and blood vessels. Such germs will do so as a result of tooth decay, gum disease, or injury.

Signs of a dental abscess are:

• Throbbing, persistent, or chewing pain
• Tooth or gum sensitivity
• Red or swollen gums
• A bitter or foul taste in your mouth
• Fever

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD)

At times, pain in your face stems from jaw problems. That especially applies if you suffer changes to your temporomandibular joint (TMJ). In that case, you could suffer what’s known as a temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD).

The symptoms of TMD tend to be pretty distinct. Besides pain in or around your jaw, big ones are a misaligned bite, swelling, and fatigue. The disorder can also produce clicking sounds when you open or close your mouth.

Dry Socket

When a dentist removes a tooth, you might have face pain afterward. Should that happen, there’s a good chance you have a dry socket. The latter is when blood doesn’t clot well at your extraction site, causing nerves and bone to get exposed.

The signs of a dry socket include:

• Radiating or persistent pain after a tooth extraction
• Visible loss of the blood clot around the extraction site
• Bad breath or a foul taste in your mouth

Why See an Emergency Dentist for Them?

Unfortunately, dental emergencies won’t fade on their own. An untreated dental abscess, for example, could trigger life-threatening sepsis. A dry socket, on the other hand, could lead to your jawbone eroding. Even TMD can cause cracked teeth if left alone. Given these facts, seeing an emergency dentist for proper treatment is crucial.

As you can see, facial pain should be given proper attention for signs of a dental emergency. That being the case, remember the issues above and see a dentist when you can!

About the Practice

Fairfax Dental Group is based in Fairfax, VA. Led by Drs. Marjun Ayati and Brenda J. Young, our practice offers comfortable and effective dentistry. Namely, we provide various preventive, cosmetic, and restorative treatments, as well as emergency care procedures. Our office also takes great pride in being a certified provider of Invisalign clear aligners. For more information or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (703)-560-6301.