Don’t Ignore Minor Dental Discomfort

14 / 02 / 2018

Don’t Ignore Minor Dental Discomfort

It Can Be All Too Easy To Put Our Heads In The Sand When Pain Is Relatively Minor

It is a fact that most people don’t enjoy having to visit their dentist. Even at the Lighthouse Dental Practice, where our staff are friendly and welcoming to patients, we can still sometimes sense the trepidation as a patient sits in the chair. This is understandable of course, and even some of our own dental team are not exempt from this anxiety.

It is probably no surprise to know that, even amongst patients who keep their regular check-up appointments, there can be a reluctance to contact the dentist when they suspect that something may not be as it should, especially where the discomfort is relatively minor.

Dental Emergencies

The type of symptom that we are talking about is not the raging pain that can come with a root canal infection and which is likely to see even the most nervous patient reach for the phone to book an emergency appointment at our Ipswich practice. Not all pain is this severe and sometimes we may notice, for example, a little extra sensitivity in a tooth or a slightly sore or inflamed gum.
This type of discomfort can be easy to live with, and there is a strong temptation to wait until the next checkup to have it looked at.

If the discomfort occurs on a one-off occasion, it may have been caused by an external problem; perhaps the gum has been scratched for example. If the discomfort persists though, it is very likely that you are experiencing the early signs of a problem that will become worse if ignored.

Get It Checked

We always encourage patients of the Lighthouse Dental Practice to contact us should this type of issue arise. Any patient, whether nervous or not, would rather have a minor filling of a tooth rather than wait until the root canals have become affected; at that point, requiring a root canal procedure.
A sore gum may not be a major problem in itself, but could well be an indicator that gum disease is starting to take hold. As we have mentioned in previous blogs, this early stage gum disease can usually be managed in a non-invasive manner, sometimes only requiring an improvement in personal oral care. Ignoring gum problems at this early stage though could result in periodontitis, where tooth loss is a real possibility.

Ultimately, if you wish to avoid the need for more extensive treatment, you should always make sure to have any minor ‘niggles’ checked out.

If you are experiencing any oral problems but aren’t sure if it is serious or not, it makes sense to have this diagnosed by one of the dentists at our Ipswich practice. We will be able to advise of any treatment that might be needed, or even to put your mind at rest that all is well.

For either emergency or non-emergency appointments, you can contact the Lighthouse Dental Practice on 01473 257 379.

We are here to help you.
If you would like to speak to a member of our friendly team about any of the issues in this article please visit our contact page or call us on 01473 257379.