What Tooth Pain Can Mean: 10 Causes of Toothache
One of the most unpleasant feelings while working or enjoying your daily routine is a toothache. This dental issue can affect your concentration, leading to unwanted pain and distractions.
Although the throbbing pain in your mouth can seem similar, the root causes can differ. A professional dentist will assess the accurate reason behind your toothache. Still, you can gauge the extent of this issue with some basic prior knowledge.
This blog lists ten prominent causes of tooth pain and complications related to them. Also, you can find potential solutions to help address some of these reasons.
Popular Causes of the Tooth Pain Issue
At some point in time, everyone experiences pain associated with dental health. It may be wisdom tooth pain, decay, or sore mouth. Regardless of the impact, it’s vital to know about these .
Teeth Cavities
The mouth contains natural bacteria on a large scale. In some cases, general habits lead to the accumulation of these bacteria in the teeth gaps. This in turn can be one of the reasons for causing cavity.
The risk of cavities is further increased because of the following:
Poor brushing routine
Eating disorders
Dry mouth
Using toothpaste with a lack of fluoride
These reasons are enough to cause cavities and lead to severe tooth pain. In fact, toothache is one of the long-term complications of cavities.
Possible Solutions to Prevent Cavities
You can avoid over the counter painkillers through these preventive measures:
Brushing twice daily
Flossing regularly
Eating a balanced diet
Visiting your dentist frequently
When you see a dentist, the expert identifies the root cause of your toothache. Consequently, you can address the pain through solutions like dental crowns, root canals, fillings, or tooth extraction.
Misalignment of the Teeth
If you have bent, crooked or misaligned teeth, they may press against the adjacent ones. As a result, the other teeth can be pushed out from their original position. Toothache is prominent because of this abnormality in your mouth.
In some cases, wisdom teeth tend to push adjacent gums that leads to pain in the mouth. This undesirable push can lead to a high level of discomfort.
Possible Solutions for Treating Misalignment
Your orthodontist can address the misalignment through the following treatments:
Braces
Dental veneers
Aligners
Tooth extraction
In highly complex cases, surgery can become inevitable. Unlike issues like cavities, you cannot take fixed preventive measures to avoid misalignment. However, treatments like braces or aligners can prevent further complications and tooth pain.
Gum Disease
Periodontitis, also known popularly as gum disease, is another common cause of toothache and sore mouth. If you do not address this condition initially, it may lead to severe tooth discomfort.
In this dental disease, the gums and bone in your mouth pull away from the tooth. Eventually, they form small pockets leading to possible bacterial infection. This infection is the one of the main causes for tooth pain or tooth loss.
Here are common reasons that lead to gum disease:
Plaque
Hormonal changes
Smoking
Poor dental hygiene routine
Hereditary
Possible Solutions for Gum Disease
Your dentist can suggest proper treatment to address gum disease. These treatments can include dental cleaning, root planing, bone graft, guided tissue regeneration, etc.
As an individual, you can follow healthy dental habits like regular brushing and flossing every day. In addition, always try to rinse your mouth after finishing your meals.
Impacted Wisdom Teeth
In some cases, wisdom teeth do not break through the gum line. As a result, they push other teeth and cause severe discomfort to the person.
In this case, a toothache becomes extremely painful as the days go by. You cannot follow any preventive measures to avoid this dental problem. So, you need to see a dentist as soon as possible.
Possible Solution for Wisdom Teeth
To eliminate the tooth pain from an impacted wisdom tooth, you need to accept and continue following all the dentist’s guidelines. Most commonly, your dentist will suggest the complete removal of this particular tooth.
So, there is only one solution to addressing this pain – visit the clinic at the earliest so that the orthodontist can evaluate your cause in time.
Tooth Abscess
In simple words, an abscess implies a portion with pus at the root of a tooth. Here are the common causes of this complex dental issue:
Tooth decay
Cracked tooth
Gum disease
As tooth abscess is a type of infection, you will experience tooth pain. Also, this condition can lead to inflammation in your mouth, fever, redness of the gums, etc as it becomes severe.
Possible Solution for Tooth Abscess
You cannot treat this dental disease at home. Visiting the clinic and getting a dentists opinion is vital when you have an abscessed tooth.
The dentist can thus suggest the need for surgery or extraction. A root canal can solve this issue and relieve your pain in some cases.
Fractured Teeth
The pain that you experience after chipping or cracking your teeth can be unbearable. This could happen due to accidents while playing sports. In such circumstances, a direct impact on your teeth can lead to toothache.
This tooth pain arises due to fractures that can go all the way upto the nerves. In some cases, you will notice a gradual increase in the pain as time goes by. This way, you can identify that the potential cause of your tooth discomfort could be due to a recent accident.
Possible Solution for Tooth Fracture
The solution to address the pain from a fracture depends on the intensity of your injury. It is crucial to see a dentist at the earliest to avoid tooth removal.
If you visit the dental clinic early, your dentist can suggest solutions like dental veneers. In extreme cases, you might need dental implants to replace the damaged tooth. If you play contact sports, always use a mouth guard to avoid a tooth fracture.
Teeth Grinding
A toothache can arise due to the intentional or unintentional habit of grinding. Technically known as bruxism, this habit might not harm you initially.
However, repeated grinding or clenching of teeth can lead to dental damage. Generally, stress or anxiety are the main reasons behind people grinding their teeth during their sleep. In most cases, you won’t notice this habit, making it difficult to pinpoint the reason for your pain.
Possible Solution for Tooth Grinding
To avoid dental pain due to tooth grinding, your dentist can suggest using a mouth guard at night. Apart from this advice, you need to reduce your stress to eliminate tooth grinding.
High Sensitivity
Eating too hot or cold food items can lead to a sharp and peculiar type of toothache. If you experience this type of tooth pain, your teeth might be oversensitive to temperature.
The reason for this sensitivity is usually a worn-down enamel. After an in-depth evaluation, your dentist can find the exact cause of this enamel damage.
Possible Solution for Preventing Tooth Sensitivity
Generally, you should avoid brushing your teeth with a hard toothbrush. Also, your dentist can suggest specialised toothpastes for sensitive teeth. Visiting the dental clinic is your best option for a guided treatment to reduce tooth pain due to temperature sensitivity.
Teeth Alignment Procedures
Orthodontic alignment treatments rectify issues like down-bite, crowded teeth, and misaligned or crooked teeth. The common techniques for these are use of :
Braces
Invisalign
Retainers
Veneers
In some cases, you might notice a toothache right after these procedures. The reason for this discomfort is simple. Your teeth need to adjust to the correct position due to the fitment of these aligners. So, minor pain after the treatment is natural.
Possible Solution for Alignment Pains
In some cases, you might feel a high level of pain after the fitment process. The occurrence of such pain is rare but not impossible. Your dentist can readjust the braces or aligners appropriately in such a case. As a result, you can notice a reduction in tooth pain after this vital appointment.
Damage in the Tooth Filling
Fillings are vital to rectify tooth decay. In other cases, dentists also use them to fix a chipped or broken tooth. However, these fillings are susceptible to cracking.
If a filling cracks or falls down, the sensitive spots of your teeth are exposed. This exposure leads to an uncomfortable sensation in the affected area. So, damage to the filling can be another cause of tooth pain.
Possible Solution to Treat Tooth Filling Damage
Replacement is the best solution to minimise the pain due to a broken filling. As soon as you notice cracks in your filling, promptly visit the nearest dental clinic.
To prevent damage to the fillings, you can practice general hygiene tips. These steps include regular brushing, flossing, and the use of antibacterial mouthwash.
When to Visit A Dentist
In general, the above ten causes of tooth pain are the most common ones that you could experience in your lifetime. You should consider visiting a dental clinic where orthodontists follow treatments medically reviewed by well-known organisations.
Still, the main question is – when to take a toothache seriously? Here are some general suggestions that you can follow:
If you have severe and irresistible pain
Your tooth pain lasts for over two days
You face other symptoms like fever or mouth pain
As soon as you notice the above signals, ensure you visit the dental clinic. Prompt decision and in-time treatment are crucial in controlling the intensity of toothache.
Wrapping Up
Reasons such as tooth decay, misalignments, and gum disease are common causes of tooth pain. Still, you can face this unwanted pains due to other mentioned causes too.
Regular brushing, flossing, and use of antibacterial mouthwash are crucial to prevent toothache. By following these habits, you also prevent many dental complications. If you notice a persistent tooth pain that prolongs after a day or two, visit your dentist promptly.
Proper and in-time assessment can prevent future complications that can arise due to specific reasons. For this purpose, always choose a reliable dental clinic for the best toothache treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to know if my tooth is infected?
You should notice certain signs of a possible tooth infection. Here are some common symptoms:
Pain in the jawbone, ear, and neck area
Fever
Inflammation of gums
Swelling of the face or cheek
Sensitivity while eating or chewing food
Blisters in the mouth
Remember, if the symptoms last for over two days, it is essential to visit your dentist. In any circumstance, do not delay or neglect tooth pain.
Why is the pain in the teeth intense at night?
At night, you are usually asleep. So, the blood circulates to the brain and facial area. This increased blood flow exerts pressure on your infected tooth.
As a result, you experience more pain when you lie down for a good night’s sleep. On the contrary, the standing position does not allow the blood to exert force on the tooth. So, the pain is less intense during your daily routine.