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Toothache day – at some point everyone comes to the dentist
Ouch! There it was again, that nasty pain in the jaw. Almost everyone has had the unpleasant experience of this feeling at some point. With the “Toothache day” on 9 February, even a whole day is dedicated to this feeling. In an interview, Kulzer employees and dentists Dr. Astrid Gross and Dr. Janine Schweppe explain why it is better not to put off a visit to the dentist.
What are the most common causes of toothache?
Dr. Astrid Gross:
During my practical activity, most pain patients came in because of acute pulpitis. This means that the tooth nerve is severely irritated, usually by caries or a filling that has been placed. The second most common type of pain was the exacerbation of apical osteitis: this is the spontaneous degradation of a most often long time persisting chronic inflammation of the periapical bone. Most often triggered by a decreasing immune defence. This process is typically associated with abscesses, which are accordingly painful. And in third place, of course, there are patients who have pain due to dental trauma, i.e. accidents.
Dr. Janine Schweppe:
... in addition, there are periodontal diseases, exposed tooth necks, or temporomandibular joint disorders.
How long do patients usually endure the pain before they come to the practice?
Dr. Janine Schweppe:
It varies a lot, some patients come in the same day, others try self-medication for weeks and only come to the practice when that doesn’t help anymore. It also depends on the cause: people with accidents and swellings usually come immediately or when the pain is extreme, while others come later. All in all, it’s a very individual issue.
Dr. Astrid Gross:
One thing is for sure: everyone comes to the dentist at some point. Often, the personal suffering pressure is decisive: what is greater, the fear of the dentist or the suffering pressure caused by the toothache? At a certain stage, however, it becomes dangerous, for example in the case of abscesses, which can sometimes even be life-threatening. A dentist should be consulted early as possible!
In your observation, has the Corona pandemic changed how quickly patients come to the dentist?
Dr. Janine Schweppe:
I work in a practice myself once a week, so I have my finger on the pulse of time, so to speak. During the first lockdown in March 2020, it was severe for months: within two or three weeks, there were almost no patients left. But the impact varied widely – specialized practices or those in urban settings may not have noticed as much. Practices with older audiences have felt the lockdown more acutely.
Even though infection numbers are high again in the current Corona wave, the decline is not as sharp as it was in the first wave. People’s anxiety is different now and more patients are coming in. For acute pain, they still want an appointment promptly. Nevertheless, one notices that control appointments or not so urgent things are postponed by some.
What do you advise patients who hesitate to go to the dentist despite pain?
Dr. Astrid Gross:
Almost everyone has a little “jitters” about going to the dentist. My advice is to go to the dentist sooner rather than later, especially in the case of diseases such as caries that do not initially hurt. The motto here is: it is better to have the dentist check too much than too little. Patients often come too late and then, for example, a root canal treatment must be carried out – a classic that could have been avoided.
Dr. Janine Schweppe:
I agree with that. During my clinical career, I have seen many patients who have not been to the dentist for more than ten years and who were in severe pain. That’s why I recommend going to the dentist regularly and not letting things slide, even if it doesn’t hurt that much yet. There are now many ways to treat anxiety patients well, be it with medication, cognitive behavioural therapy, general anaesthetic, hypnosis, or distraction. Some dentists have specialized in this group of patients – the issue of trust plays a very decisive role here. For all patients who hesitate despite pain, I have a simple tip: the best thing to do is to ask your friends or family for a recommendation for an empathetic dentist. This is often more suitable than making the choice of dentist dependent on ratings on the Internet.
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Manager Corporate Communications
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Matthias Brehmke
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