Some toothaches last for a few minutes or hours. Others last for weeks or months on end. There are many potential causes of toothaches, and they all have different treatment options. If your teeth are causing you problems, here are a few possible reasons why…
Tooth Decay
Tooth decay can cause toothaches, even if it’s not serious enough to form a cavity. With less enamel protecting your teeth, the teeth become more sensitive to temperature changes, sharp foods you check, etc. If you have a deep cavity, you may have some nerve exposure that can lead to tremendous pain. This is why we recommend getting dental sealants or fillings at the first signs of tooth decay so you can protect your teeth before getting a toothache.
Remedy: Get an oral exam to determine the best way to fix your tooth decay – filling, sealant, fluoride treatment, root canal, etc.
Pressure
If you have more teeth than your jaws can support, the pressure can cause a toothache. This is often an issue with wisdom teeth as they start to grow in. Your smile may have had enough room for the rest of your teeth, but those third molars don’t have anywhere to go. The result is throbbing, persistent pain that gets worse when you chew.
Remedy: You may need to have one or more teeth removed to make room in your smile. You can get invisible braces after that to straighten your teeth.
Infection
Infections are painful regardless of where they are in the body. You may get an infection around your tooth that causes pain on that side of your mouth. This is known as an abscessed tooth, which is an infection on the tooth’s root or between the tooth and the gum. It usually occurs when a tooth gets chipped or broken.
Remedy: Your dentist can drain the abscess and prescribe antibiotics to get rid of the infection. You will also need to repair the crack that caused the infection. Depending on how severe the infection is, you may need further treatment to correct the problem.
Trauma
If you have a traumatic event, like a sports injury or falling on stairs, you may experience dental pain for several days. This often goes away on its own, but sometimes it requires emergency dental services to fix the problem.
Remedy: See if the pain goes away as your injuries progress. Get an oral exam from your dentist if the pain persists.
