A toothache is a medical issue that can make day-to-day life painful and irritating. Some sites out there say you can simply try to mask the pain and wait it out, only calling us if the pain gets serious or lasts for a while. However, doing this can cause some serious health issues. There is a definite possibility that the pain is caused by a tooth infection. When a tooth gets infected, time is of the essence. When the infection gets time to spread, it can travel to the tooth’s nerve.

Once the nerve gets infected, the tooth is simply dead. This causes the pain to surge and then stop as the tooth dies. However, the fact that there’s no pain doesn’t mean things have gotten better. There’s still an infected tooth in your mouth, and it must be removed. The best-case scenario is that we remove the nerve through a root canal surgery followed by a build-up and crown. On the other hand, the worst case is that we have to remove the tooth. Overall, it’s much better to play it safe and call us if you have a toothache.

 As for what causes toothaches, here are some common causes:

Mouth or jaw injuries: We’ll sometimes see patients after leaving the ER and recovering for a bit, generally for broken teeth.

Sinus infections: This causes what we call ‘referred pain’ in the upper back molars. It feels like real tooth pain and is often the first symptom of a sinus infection people will notice.

Losing a filling or broken teeth: Sometimes this will be fine if we get to see you early enough. If they’re left for long enough, they can risk developing into decay or an infection.

Abscessed or infected teeth/tooth decay: Abscessed teeth are similar to how an infected tooth works, but the infection starts at the root or root tip and the pain comes from the damage to the area around the tooth.

Teething or wisdom teeth crowning: When these teeth come in they can cause some discomfort.  Make an appointment with your dentist to make sure the movement is not problematic or if you may need to have wisdom teeth extracted.

Food/debris wedged in teeth: Floss, floss, floss! If the floss isn’t getting it, we’d suggest visiting our dentist or dental hygienist.

Gum disease: This only causes pain during the end of the disease’s progression, which causes loose teeth and tooth loss.

Grinding, recession, exposed root surfaces, and recent dental procedures: This kind of tooth sensitivity can be managed at home via painkillers and ice. However, you should be absolutely certain this is what’s causing the pain. Check with one of our dentists if you aren’t fully certain.

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ): This is similar (and often caused by) grinding. In addition to the above, you should also ask about getting a night guard for use when sleeping.

If you are having tooth pain give us a call. We are always here for you.