There are a lot of different kinds of pain associated with toothaches. Pain can be constant or intermittent, sharp or throbbing, and can be accompanied by other symptoms or be completely in isolation. Whatever your pain toothaches are always unpleasant and are generally caused by one of a handful of issues.
Tooth Decay
Your toothache may be a direct result of holes in your teeth – cavities – caused by an acidic degradation of enamel. If you get a toothache after eating something hot, cold, or sweet, this may be the cause. See if the hurting tooth is visible in a mirror and you may be able to spot the decay.
Infection
One of the more painful forms of toothache is an infection between the gum and the tooth or right at the tooth’s root. This is called an abscessed tooth and is the result of extreme tooth decay. An abscessed tooth is often accompanied by other symptoms like pain when chewing, foul breath, gum swelling, fever, and many others.
Gum Disease
Periodontitis – a more severe form of gingivitis – is caused when the inner layers of the gum pull away from the teeth and form spaces that can become infected by collected debris. This can create pain which can lead to the feeling of a toothache.
Damage
Aches can be caused by injury to the teeth. A fracture can create an issue in the nerve below the teeth causing severe pain. Additionally a pre-existing filling may be damaged as well which can create issues of its own.
Other Causes
The other main cause for toothaches tends to be repetitive motions like grinding teeth or chewing gum. This can create what feels like muscle pain when trying to move your jaw or bite down. Also, you may feel a sharp tingling when drinking something too hot or too cold and that may be due to teeth sensitivity caused by some nerves being exposed at your gum line – switch to a toothpaste for sensitive teeth for some help with that.
Regardless of your type or cause of toothache there are some important things to keep in mind. If your toothache is severe, lasts longer than 1 or 2 days, or is accompanied by a fever, earache, or pain when opening your mouth wide, see a dentist as soon as possible. The toothache may be very serious and left unattended the cause could be detrimental to your health. If you have a toothache and need a great dentist to take a look at it contact Pickering Square Dental today. We’d be happy to help.