TOOTH PAIN COMES in many different types, depending on the underlying cause. If you’re experiencing tooth pain, you’ll be able to help the dentist discover the cause if you can describe your discomfort in specific terms, so let’s look at the different possibilities.
Brief Sensitivity To Temperature Changes
If you experience momentary sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures, there usually isn’t a major problem. It could be due to a loose filling or slight gum recession that exposes a small amount of root surface. If it bothers you, try using tooth sensitivity toothpaste and brushing up and down rather than sideways, which wears away exposed root surfaces.
Temperature Sensitivity After Dental Treatment
Sometimes dental work inflames the pulp inside the teeth and causes temporary sensitivity during the healing process. Wait a few weeks, and if the pain isn’t going away on its own (and especially if it’s getting worse), see your dentist.
Sharp Pain When Biting Down On Food
This type of pain could be the result of tooth decay, a loose filling, or a cracked tooth, and it could indicate damage to the pulp. You should go see your general dentist for an evaluation if you’re experiencing this kind of tooth pain, and they might send you to us if the problem is a cracked tooth.
Lingering Pain After Eating Hot Or Cold Foods
While temporary discomfort from temperature changes is normal, if your tooth keeps hurting after you eat hot or cold food, the pulp has likely been damaged by decay or trauma. This situation requires the expertise of an endodontist to save the tooth.
Severe Pain And Pressure, Swollen Gum, And Sensitivity To Touch
If you’re dealing with this kind of pain, your tooth may have become abscessed, infecting the surrounding bone and gum tissue. Come see us for an endodontic evaluation and treatment as soon as possible to save the tooth and relieve the pain. In the meantime, take over-the-counter pain medication to manage the symptoms.
Dull, Aching Pressure In Upper Teeth And Jaw
This could be the pain of a sinus headache, or it may be soreness caused by bruxism (chronic teeth grinding). If the former, try pain or sinus medications. If the latter, consult your dentist. If the pain is severe and chronic, you may need to consult your physician or an endodontist.
Chronic Head, Neck, Or Ear Pain
Teeth with damaged pulp can sometimes cause pain in other parts of the head and neck, but it could be the result of a different dental or medical problem. See an endodontist for an evaluation. If the problem isn’t related to the tooth, you may be referred to another dental specialist or physician.
Get The Right Help For Your Dental Pain
If you’re struggling with dental pain, there’s no need to suffer in silence. Dental problems rarely go away on their own — on the contrary, they often get worse and therefore more difficult and expensive to fix. Go see your general dentist or come see us so that we can discover what’s causing your dental pain and stop it in its tracks.
