Have you ever been in pain with toothache and you just can’t think straight? You may feel toothache in many ways. It can come and go or it can be a constant pain.
Eating and drinking can affect it especially if it is very hot or very cold. Toothache is normally caused by tooth decay and by preventing tooth decay, it could stop you being in pain.
Toothache can be mild or severe. Sometimes toothache can come on suddenly and can be a sharp pain. With toothache, it can be quite hard to determine if it is coming from the upper or lower.
At night, toothache can become worse as when you lay down, it puts more pressure on your jaw. You may have broken a tooth, lost a filling or you may have an abscess.
When it has affected a molar tooth at the back of the mouth, it can sometimes feel like it is coming from the ear as they are very close together.
Teeth on the upper at the front can sometimes put pressure on your sinuses and it may feel like it is coming from there. Your jaw around the tooth may feel tender and sore also.
What causes toothache?
Toothache occurs when the outer layer of the tooth becomes inflamed from decay. The pulp chamber of the teeth are filled with nerves and blood vessels. Dental pulp can become inflamed by different reasons,
Here are the possible causes:
Tooth decay- Cavities in the tooth from tooth decay forming
A cracked tooth- Small cracks in the teeth that may not even be visible
Loose/lost or broken fillings- If a filling becomes loose or you have lost the whole thing, this will lead to pain as the tooth is open to bacteria and infection.
Receding gums- If your gums have shrunk then this leaves your tooth surface vulnerable and open to sensitivity
Abscess- This is when a collection of pus forms on the end of your tooth chamber and you may experience high pain levels with this
Babies can also be susceptible to toothache when their teeth start to come through.
If you are having pain coming from your teeth, please let your dentist know. He or she will try to fit you in as soon as possible to relieve it and make you more comfortable.
Bromsgrove Dental Clinic: 01527874537 or email us on firstname.lastname@example.org
If you aren’t able to get in contact with your practice, please call NHS 111 if out of hours.