Our Blog
26
Jun
Do Your Teeth Hurt When Food Gets Stuck in Them?
Ideally, healthy, straight teeth shouldn’t get food stuck in them very often. But for some people getting food stuck in their teeth is a routine experience, and, what’s worse, it can often hurt. This is usually a sign that you need to see your dentist.
Food Stuck Literally in the Tooth
Do you experience immediate, sharp pain when food gets stuck in your tooth? It may get stuck in the top of the tooth, to the front or back of the tooth, or in between teeth, but you experience a sharp pain that’s inside the tooth. It typically surges when you bite down or otherwise put pressure on the tooth.
In this case, it’s likely that you’ve got a cavity that food is sticking into. The cavity may have penetrated into the dentin or it may even be near the tooth pulp. In some cases, it may have penetrated the pulp, and you may experience lasting pain when food gets stuck in the cavity.
If this is the case, you likely need some type of reconstructive dentistry procedure, such as a filling or even a dental crown if the cavity threatens the structure of the tooth. If the cavity has penetrated the pulp, you will need a root canal.
Food Stuck between Teeth
If food gets stuck between your teeth you may experience pain from the teeth being pushed sideways. It may be comparable to the discomfort people experience when getting their braces tightened. It’s a duller pain accompanied by pressure, and it may be felt either in the tooth or down in the gums where the teeth are anchored. Food stuck in this way can affect the alignment of your teeth, so it’s important to get it out sooner. Typically, this is caused by hard foods such as popcorn kernel or other seeds.
The best way to prevent this kind of pain is to get Invisalign or braces to straighten your teeth and reduce the risk of getting food stuck in your teeth.
Food Stuck between Tooth and Gum
Food can also get lodged between the tooth and gums. When this happens, you may experience a sudden, sharp pain, which may pass. You may even forget about it. But if food stays lodged below your gumline, it can lead to an infection. You will experience pain, swelling, and usually a bad smell. You may experience receding gums. You are even at the risk of losing a nearby tooth.
When this occurs, it’s important to see a periodontist who can treat the growing infection. You are more at risk for this type of food problem if you have gum disease, so more proactive treatment may be necessary to prevent a recurrence.
We Can Stop Food from Getting Stuck in Your Teeth
We offer all the treatments necessary to keep food from getting stuck in your teeth and help you feel more comfortable when you eat. For help with this problem, please call (310) 275-5325 today for an appointment with our Beverly Hills dentists.