A hurting tooth is one of the most unpleasant experiences you can imagine. It can impact on your ability to work, rest, eat, and enjoy life.
If you are feeling dental pain, it’s important that you don’t jump to conclusions or make assumptions about the cause of the pain. There are many different causes behind toothache, and some are more concerning than others. That’s why you should always make an appointment to see your dentist at the earliest onset of a toothache.
What causes toothaches?
Some of the most common causes of toothache include:
– Tooth decay: can happen if food isn’t removed efficiently so bacteria eats at the tooth enamel and dentine structure and causes a cavity. Contrary to popular belief, the cavity can be painless when shallow, but if it gets deeper then you can experience pain from the exposure of the middle layer of the tooth (the dentine)
– Pulpitis: which is the inflammation of the tooth pulp. What this means is that the tissue at the centre of the tooth has become inflamed and irritated. This causes greater pressure in the tooth and affects the surrounding tissues and can sometimes give you pain at night as well as to hot foods and drinks.
– Abscess: An untreated cavity or pulpitis can result in bacteria building up in the pulp chamber. The tooth then tries to drain itself out of the tip of the tooth root, which is an extreme level of pressure, and can cause severe and ongoing pain until treated.
– Impacted tooth, which is when the tooth – typically the wisdom teeth – are prevented from moving into their proper position, as a result of the size and shape of the jaw, for example. This can cause the tooth to remain stuck under the gum, which can lead to significant pain and swelling from the gum in the region or if there has been a food trap you can also get pain from the cavity
– Gum disease:which is an infection of the gums. It’s a common cause of pain in the teeth and gums and left untreated can lead to bone loss and deterioration of the gums. Teeth suffering from gum disease can also be sore when biting and if they are loose.
In addition to these common causes of tooth pain, there are several more rare cases, which you will need a dentist or specialist to properly diagnose such as oral pathology and cancer, trauma from a burn, viral infections or autoimmune diseases. In all cases, detection and treatment early is the best solution to the pain, so be sure to come and see your Parra Dental dentist.Our experienced dentists are adept at figuring out where your toothache comes from, if at first it is not too obvious.
Additionally, we will provide you with transparent and honest advice and always do our best to ensure that you are out of pain. For more information, or to make an appointment, please feel free to contact the team at 02 96339835.