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We’re not talking post-holiday “I can’t eat another bite” discomfort. No, we’re here to talk about the discomfort caused by bite pain.

Usually, our teeth and jaws work so harmoniously that we don’t even think about biting and chewing. But when a sharp jolt or a dull ache accompanies any sort of pressure on your tooth, it’s time to call Daisy Mountain Dentistry. Let’s look at a few of the possible causes.

• Tooth Decay

When a cavity reaches below the enamel and into the dentin, the middle part of the tooth, you might feel discomfort and sensitivity. If a cavity reaches the inner pulp, which contains the tooth’s blood supply and nerves, it’s not only very painful, it can lead to a serious infection called an abscess.

Root canal treatment can help save a tooth when decay has reached the pulp, but prevention is always the best option! Good dental hygiene, regular checkups, and prompt treatment of small cavities will help prevent deep cavities from forming.

• Damaged Dental Filling

A loose or damaged filling can be uncomfortable. Even worse, bacteria can get under a damaged filling where your toothbrush and floss can’t reach, causing decay which can eventually reach the pulp if undetected.

During your regular checkups, Drs. Peter Vogel, Vijal Vadecha will look for any signs of decay around and under your fillings, and will find any fillings which need replacing. If you notice a loose filling, or suffer discomfort when you bite down on a filling, don’t wait until your next checkup to visit our Anthem office.

• Malocclusion

When your teeth and jaws aren’t aligned properly, you can’t bite comfortably. And that can be just one of the troubles caused by a malocclusion, or poor bite. Alignment problems can include difficulty eating, speaking, and sleeping, tooth damage, headaches and jaw pain, and facial asymmetry.

If your bite pain is the result of tooth and/or jaw misalignment, we can refer you to an orthodontist to evaluate the way your teeth and jaws are working together.

• Bruxism (Tooth Grinding)

Your jaws can provide more than 20 pounds of pressure to your teeth when you need to chew food. When you grind your teeth, your jaws can produce hundreds of pounds of pressure on your teeth all night long. It’s no wonder you wake up with tooth or jaw pain. Over time, nightly grinding will damage enamel and can chip and even crack teeth.

Your dentist can create a custom-made nightguard that will protect your teeth from grinding pressure—relieving tooth and jaw pain, preventing more serious damage, and giving you a better night’s sleep!

• Cracked Tooth

A cracked cusp or a crack in your tooth needs to be treated as soon as possible. Some cracks can be treated by Drs. Peter Vogel, Vijal Vadecha, some might require a referral to an endodontist or an oral surgeon, and some cracked teeth are so badly damaged that they require extraction.

A painful cracked tooth can be obvious after a trauma, or it might not be obvious at all. So whenever you suffer dental trauma, call our office immediately for instructions. Speedy medical attention might be the difference between a repaired tooth and a lost tooth. (And save yourself from avoidable trauma by wearing your mouthguard whenever it’s appropriate!)

• Infection/Abscess

When the pulp inside a tooth is infected or inflamed, the result can be a painful abscess. Abscesses are pockets of pus caused by bacterial infection. An abscess isn’t just painful, it’s dangerous, because it can cause bone loss around the tooth and further infection if it’s not treated promptly.

Continuous severe pain, a swelling in the gums near your tooth, redness, fever, chills, a bad taste in your mouth, or bad breath can all be signs of a tooth abscess. See your dentist as soon as possible if you have any symptoms of an abscess. Your dentist may recommend a root canal procedure or refer you to an endodontist for root canal treatment or endodontic surgery.

Pain is an important signal that something is wrong, and you need to get to the root of the problem. Conditions which cause you pain often become more serious over time. For your comfort and your health, make an appointment at our Anthem office right away whenever you hesitate to take another bite.

Stress symptoms—which include high blood pressure, severe aches, and insomnia—may be affecting your health, even though you might not realize it. You may think illness is the culprit when in fact stress may actually be the reason. While stress can be good for us sometimes, Drs. Peter Vogel, Vijal Vadecha and our team know stress can be physically harmful. But what is often overlooked is that stress can also take a toll on your mouth. Here’s how:

Teeth Grinding

It’s not uncommon for people dealing with stress to develop teeth grinding, also known as bruxism. People who grind their teeth at night may do so unconsciously, but the condition requires treatment to prevent the development of headaches, TMJ, and tooth damage. If you’re a night-grinder, talk to Drs. Peter Vogel, Vijal Vadecha. We may recommend a night guard.

Mouth Sores

Research suggests stress and depression harm your immune system, making it easier for infections to develop and stick around. That can mean canker sores or a cold sore outbreak. If mouth sores are a recurring problem for you, give us a call to schedule an appointment with Drs. Peter Vogel, Vijal Vadecha.

Bad Habits

Stress can lead to bad oral health habits such as smoking, drinking, and neglecting your daily brushing and flossing routine. If you’ve been feeling under pressure lately, try to keep up with your oral health routine—it will serve you well when your stress levels return to normal.

Drs. Peter Vogel, Vijal Vadecha and our team at Daisy Mountain Dentistry know there’s not always an easy way to reduce your stress levels, but eating healthy, exercising regularly, and spending time with friends and family are all good places to start.

What’s the big deal about a little snoring during the night? Or feeling a bit drowsy during the day? Or an occasional bout of insomnia? If your sleep problems are few and far between, probably not a major worry. But if your sleep disruptions are frequent, getting worse, or more noticeable to those around you, your problem might be sleep apnea. And that can be a big deal.

Sleep apnea occurs in three forms:

• Obstructive sleep apnea

This is the most common form of sleep apnea. It can be the result of the muscles in the back of the throat relaxing during sleep to obstruct the airway. Obstruction can also be caused by a physical condition such as a deviated septum, excess throat tissue or enlarged tonsils.  Loud snoring often results as the sleeper struggles to inhale through the obstructed passageway.

• Central sleep apnea

Central sleep apnea is caused by the brain failing to transmit the proper signals to breathe during sleep. The sleeper either stops breathing, or takes such shallow breaths that he or she can’t get enough air into the lungs.

• Complex sleep apnea

This condition is a mix of both obstructive and central sleep apnea.

Any of these forms of sleep apnea will cause a miserable night’s sleep. Sufferers actually stop breathing for a brief time. To start breathing properly again, our bodies move from the deep sleep we need to restore our physical and mental health to shallow sleep or even momentary wakefulness. And these disruptive episodes can happen dozens of times an hour, all night long. You might think you have gotten a full night’s sleep, while in reality you are suffering from sleep deprivation.

When you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, the immediate consequences are easy to see and hear. Loud snoring, choking, constant drowsiness—you (and your loved ones) suffer from these symptoms night and day. But the hidden consequences of this disorder are even more dangerous. Sleep apnea has been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, and strokes. It can cause memory problems, depression, and mood changes. Loss of focus and slow reflexes can lead to accidents. Complications from general anesthetics and medications can also become a serious risk.

Snoring is not the only symptom of sleep apnea. If you notice that you often wake up with a sore throat, a dry mouth, or a headache, have difficulty going to sleep at night or staying awake during the day, can’t concentrate,  or constantly feel irritable—you should consider the possibility that you suffer from sleep apnea. Talk to Drs. Peter Vogel, Vijal Vadecha at our Anthem office. We can recommend options that will have you once again sleeping soundly in your bed, waking up refreshed and healthy. And that is a big deal.

Emergency care dentists are equipped to handle any tooth emergency. Seeing us first takes less time than having to sit in a hospital emergency room, only to be told to see a dentist. When dental emergencies occur, seek emergency care with Daisy Mountain Dentistry as soon as possible. We are prepared and equipped for any type of dental emergency: day or night, seven days a week, we stand ready to advise and treat you with great dental care.

There are several types of dental emergencies, but only one or two should require a hospital emergency room visit. If you suspect you have a broken jaw or nose, emergency medical attention is required. For pain associated with teeth and gums or injury to a tooth, Daisy Mountain Dentistry is the better choice. Dental pain almost always becomes worse without treatment, and can create other serious health issues.

If a tooth has been traumatized or knocked out of your mouth, our team can treat the sensitive nerves and tissues that could be damaged. If you can replace the tooth quickly enough, chances are it can be saved. There are certain precautions to take during a dental emergency that could help preserve a tooth until you can see our professional dentists for emergency dental care.

Call our Anthem office at the first onset of pain. If you have lost a tooth, crown, or filling, try to keep the tooth or restoration moist. Teeth are strong, but they will crack and shift after an injury or the loss of a bridge or crown. If the crack extends to the root, or the loss of a tooth or crown leaves sensitive tissue or nerves exposed, the pain can be excruciating. Our emergency care dentists will always treat your pain immediately upon examination, and fix the problem or advise you of a plan to address the cause of the pain.

Make your appointment immediately if you have suffered an accident-causing tooth injury. If the pain is the result of decay or cavities, medication for infection may be necessary. Depending on the extent of the decay, a filling, extraction, or root canal may be recommended. These treatments are not available in a hospital emergency room, but can be completed quickly and comfortably at Daisy Mountain Dentistry .