Ever notice that dental pains or aching teeth are more prominent at night when you’re in bed?
Two Reasons Tooth Pain Is Worse at Night
“A decayed tooth will hurt more at night for two reasons,” says Laurence (Larry) Grayhills, DMD, MS, MAGD, member of the Academy of General Dentistry.
Dr. Grayhills continues, “When laying back in the supine position, the blood pressure to the head increases (orthostatic hypertension, much as when your head is lower than the rest of your body) and will accentuate the blood flow to the damaged tooth, thereby enhancing the inflammatory process.
“Secondly, at night there are less distractions as there are during the day, allowing the affected individual to focus on the pain they are experiencing in the tooth.”
Seeing your dentist twice a year for routine checkups will go a long way at preventing tooth decay.
Why do so many people refuse to see the dentist?
One reason is fear. There is the fear of a nerve being poked by an instrument during a routine scraping procedure.
There is also the discomfort of lying helpless with one’s mouth wide open and someone looking inside with instruments.
Another reason is fear of being told something like, “You have five cavities,” or, “You will need a root canal.”
And of course, there is the bill for the services. Many people do not have dental coverage — including business owners.
However, like that famous saying goes, “A stitch in time saves nine.”
If you think you’re saving money by neglecting to have your teeth routinely examined, you may end up paying a pretty penny down the road for major dental work.
If the decay of a tooth has reached a point where it is hurting, whether only at night or during most of the day as well, this usually means that the sufferer has neglected regular dental visits.
Dr. Grayhills is with Mohip Dental & Associates, of FL, which provides the highest level of cosmetic, restorative, prosthetic and emergency dental care available.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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