Any type of injury to the teeth or gums can be extremely painful. It is also possible to suffer pain without having any idea why. If you have dental pain in Bristol, it can be caused by pieces of food that come into contact with a decayed area of a tooth, and cold or hot food may create pressure near the nerve which can cause pain. Furthermore, if you lose a crown or a filling, the nerve in the tooth can become exposed.

If you don't brush and floss well you can get pieces of food stuck between the tooth and the gum, and this can cause a pain which gets steadily worse over time. What happens is that bacteria build up and can cause an infection of the gum and tooth which is called an abscess. This can either be in the gum or it can be at the root end of the tooth in the bone. If you get pain when you bite or chew, this could be because of an abscess, particularly if you have a bad taste in your mouth or notice a bad smell. An abscess can be a serious health issue if it is not treated.

Other infections that can occur in and around the mouth are cold sores which are clumps of red raised blisters that occur on the lips. They can also sometimes occur under the nose or under the chin. These are extremely contagious. Canker sores are small white or yellow sores with a red border, and they can occur inside the cheek areas, on the lips and gums, on the tongue, and in the throat area. These are not contagious.

Candidiasis, also called thrush, is a fungal infection in the mouth or throat resulting from an overgrowth of yeast. This can cause a sore throat, cracking at the corners of the mouth, and difficulty in swallowing. There will be white spots inside the mouth and possibly on the tongue.

Burning mouth syndrome is a painful burning sensation in the mouth, cheeks, gums, and throat, and it can last for months or even years.

Most mouth sores should go away within about ten days or so, but if they persist you will need to see your dentist.

For other types of dental pain in Bristol you should make an appointment to see your dentist. In the meantime, you can try to reduce the pain by taking an over the counter pain relief such as ibuprofen. However, even if this works, you still need to see your dentist because the infection can still spread.

If the pain is being caused by some food lodged in a cavity you can try to remove it by brushing and flossing. Another trick is to mix a half teaspoon of salt with a cup of warm water and rinse your mouth with it every hour or so. It won't heal an infected tooth, but what it may do is to reduce the gum swelling.

If you have lost a crown or a filling you can try dipping a cotton bud into clove oil, which you can buy at the chemist, and dab it on the exposed part of the tooth.

The good news is that, even if you are suffering severe pain, the treatments are quite often simple, provided you get to the dentist as soon as possible. Certainly, many people are afraid of going to the dentist, but you must not put it off under any circumstances.

The first thing that your dentist will do is to take an X-ray. Then if the problem is caused by pieces of food stuck between your teeth and gums, he will simply remove them. If there is an infection present, he may give you a prescription for antibiotics, and may also prescribe a painkiller. If you are given antibiotics, always take the full course, even if you begin to feel better after a couple of days.

If you have a tooth cavity, the dentist will remove any decayed part of the tooth and give you a filling, and once that is done, the pain usually disappears very quickly. If there is an abscess in the gum it may need to be drained, but if it is in the tooth the dentist will need to undertake root canal treatment.