Tooth pain can range from mild discomfort to severe, debilitating toothache. Numerous problems can cause it, but most require professional dental care.
In this guide, we look at tooth pain more closely and the different types of toothache. We discuss when tooth pain is an emergency and what to expect when you see your dentist for treatment.
What Is Tooth Pain?
Tooth pain is pain that can be inside your tooth or around it. Sometimes, toothache is due to a temporary irritation, such as if a piece of food is stuck or impacted between your teeth. This can be enough to push a tooth out of place, but it is easy to resolve by simply flossing around the tooth gently and rinsing your mouth to remove the food particles.
Other types of tooth pain are more severe. They can be caused by untreated tooth decay, a nasty tooth infection, or another dental problem. These issues will not get better without professional dental care.
What Are the Different Types of Toothache?
The type of pain you experience can vary, depending on the reason. The symptoms you experience may include:
- A dull, persistent ache.
- Sharp tooth pain that feels like someone is jabbing something into your tooth.
- A throbbing tooth pain.
- Tooth sensitivity.
- Swollen gum around the tooth.
- An unpleasant taste or bad breath.
If you experience these signs, scheduling a dental exam with your dentist is always best. The sooner you see them, the quicker they can relieve the pain and provide suitable treatment. It’s also more likely that they can fully restore the tooth.
Leaving toothache and diagnosed increases the risk of losing the tooth. It could also mean you require emergency dental care later.
When Is Toothache an Emergency?
If you don’t seek prompt dental care, there is a risk that a tooth infection could become serious and potentially life-threatening. Signs that you need urgent emergency dental care include:
- Facial swelling.
- Headaches.
- Feeling feverish or having chills.
- Intolerable toothache that cannot be relieved with over-the-counter medication.
If these symptoms sound familiar, don’t delay; see an emergency dentist immediately. You may need to go to your nearest ER if you can’t see an emergency dentist. This is because bacteria cause a tooth infection. In rare circumstances, these bacteria can migrate to other parts of your body, including your brain, potentially putting your life at risk without immediate dental care.
Contacting Your Dental Office
When you contact your dental office, they will ask about your symptoms to determine if the situation is an emergency. If you are in severe pain, your dentist will make every effort to see you quickly, often on the same day.
Otherwise, your dental office will schedule an appointment later. While you wait, they can offer advice on coping with the discomfort until you see the dentist.
What to Expect When You See Your Dentist
Your dentist must gently examine your tooth and take digital dental X-rays. The X-rays allow them to assess damage to the tooth that is hidden from view, such as a deep cavity or infection.
They will ask about your symptoms and carry out other tests to see if your tooth is sensitive to hot or cold. Once they have all this information, they can recommend suitable treatments.
Related: Dental Clinic vs. Dental Office: Key Differences Explained
How Is Tooth Pain Treated?
There are many ways that tooth pain can be treated and to restore the tooth afterward.
Pain Medication and Antibiotics
Your dentist may wish to prescribe pain medication to help your tooth feel more comfortable, especially if you need to wait for treatment. They might also prescribe antibiotics to treat a severe infection before or after treating your tooth.
Alternatively, your dentist might recommend taking over-the-counter painkillers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen to control the discomfort until you receive treatment.
Dental Filling
A dental filling is the quickest and easiest treatment for tooth pain and can mend a small to medium-sized cavity in a tooth. The filling is often made from tooth-colored composite resin, making it virtually invisible.
If the cavity is larger, it can be mended with an inlay or onlay. This is made from porcelain or gold and is stronger and longer lasting.
Root Canal Therapy
When the dental pulp right in the tooth’s center has become infected or inflamed, it must be removed with root canal treatment. Root canal therapy is similar to an ordinary filling but takes longer and is technique-sensitive. It is an excellent treatment that can save a tooth from extraction.
The process removes all the infected pulp tissue that contains the tooth’s nerves, connective tissues, and blood vessels. The root canals extending into the tooth roots are also cleaned and shaped with special files.
After treatment is complete, the tooth is sealed permanently with gutta-percha.
Dental Crown
More significant damage to a tooth may require a dental crown to repair it. A crown fits over the entire tooth, restoring the missing structure, appearance, and strength.
You would typically need a crown after root canal therapy.
Tooth Extraction
Removing a tooth will always be the last resort, but sometimes, it is impossible to save natural teeth. Your dentist may recommend removing a tooth that is severely infected or where a dental abscess has developed.
Signs of an abscess include a pimple on the gum nearest the tooth, which is caused by a buildup of pus. A dental abscess can also occur right at the tip of the tooth root. In these situations, your dentist may need to pull out the tooth to let the infection drain.
Can I Use Any Home Remedies for Toothache?
Various home remedies are available for toothache, but remember that these will not cure it. You may wish to use these remedies until you can see a dentist for tooth pain. They can help to relieve mild tooth pain.
Potential toothache remedies can include:
Hydrogen Peroxide Rinse
Using hydrogen peroxide can help relieve inflammation and pain, but you should never use it neat. Hydrogen peroxide needs to be diluted with equal parts of water. Once you have swished it around your mouth, spit it out into the sink. You should never swallow hydrogen peroxide.
Warm Saltwater Rinse
This is a very traditional remedy, as salt is a natural disinfectant. All you need do is mix half a teaspoon of salt into a cup of warm water. Use it as a mouth rinse, swishing it around your mouth for up to 30 seconds before spitting it out.
Ice Packs
Using an ice pack against the outside of your mouth can help reduce inflammation and relieve pain by helping to shrink blood vessels. Please don’t place the ice directly against the outside of your mouth; instead, wrap it in a clean tea towel. Hold it against your mouth for up to 20 minutes before removing it. Wait at least 20 minutes before you replace it.
Preventing Tooth Pain
- Preventing all types of tooth pain is impossible, but you can reduce your risk.
- Ensure you brush your teeth at least twice a day.
- Use fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush.
- Ensure you floss daily or clean between your teeth with interdental brushes or a WaterPik or soft picks.
- Use fluoride or antimicrobial mouthwash if recommended by your dentist.
- See your dentist regularly for dental exams and hygiene appointments.
If you have a painful tooth or a tooth that feels uncomfortable, don’t delay but schedule an appointment to see your dentist. Treating the problem sooner will greatly improve your chances of keeping the tooth.
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