If you have a pain in your tooth so severe that you can't eat or drink, and you are having difficulty doing anything else, then you want to get to a dental professional immediately. This is a time when an emergency appointment is necessary, no matter what time of the day it is or what it costs you. Here are some of the things that you want to know as you start to look for a dentist that can get you in, and why you don't want to wait to get in and get the painful area looked at.

Treat the Infection Fast

An oral infection that's untreated can turn into a fatality if the necessary antibiotics aren't distributed. You want to get to the dentist so that they can examine the mouth, and determine what type of antibiotic will be best to treat the infection that is causing so much pain. If this infection gets into the bloodstream, it can cause severe illness and problems throughout the rest of the body.

Fill or Bridge

After the infection is treated, the dentist may want to do a root canal to take the infected root of the tooth out of the mouth, and then they will put a filling in its place. They may also want to do a root canal, and then put a bridge in the mouth to put a new tooth in if the tooth has to be covered or completely replaced.

Get the Tooth Extracted if Needed

 If the tooth is badly infected and you don't think that it can be fixed with a filling, or root canal, then have the tooth extracted right away. This is when it will be time to get an implant put in the tooth's place, as a permanent solution to the rotted tooth that had to be pulled. This way you don't have to worry about deterioration of the tooth and extraction later on.

If you know that there is something wrong with your tooth, and the ache is so bad that you aren't able to eat, sleep, or go through the day, it's time to see a dentist before the infection is so bad it does damage that can't be reversed later on. Talk with professionals about all the different possibilities for treating the tooth after the infection has been taken care of, and then move forward being more proactive about fighting infections and other problems like that.

For more information on root canals and other dental ailments, contact your local dental office.