One of the most common tooth issues, toothaches, have a wide variety of causes and treatments. Tooth, gum, and jaw pain are sometimes confused with each other, and without the help of a professional dentist they can be extremely hard to diagnose. However, in many cases where teeth are hurting or sensitive to temperature changes it can be a sign of one of these ailments:
- Tooth decay: Cavities–caused by acids, sugars, and bacteria penetrating the enamel–will eventually reach past the enamel, causing either direct sensitivity of the nerve, or microcavities in the teeth that are sensitive to heat, cold, and different types of pressure.
- New teeth coming in: When adult teeth or wisdom teeth are erupting through the gums, the inflammation associated with it can make teeth sore.
- Fractured tooth: Biting down hard on anything harder than the tooth can cause an internal or external fracture or crack in a tooth. In some cases a chipped tooth may be extremely painful, other times it may not cause any pain at all. Depending on how the tooth is damaged, it will be more or less sensitive.
- Losing a filling: Fillings may fall out or be knocked out, resulting in a previously filled and cleaned cavity being opened. Because this part of the tooth may be hard to clean, it generally will degrade faster than the rest of teeth due to buildup of food or acids.
- Infection of the gums: If there’s inflammation, swelling, or other signs of infection, pain in the gums can sometimes feel like pain in the tooth. It is important to treat infections soon because they can quickly damage the mouth or spread beyond it.
Using a fluoride-based toothpaste to brush, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash are generally good ways to avoid degradation of the teeth and avoid tooth damage. Healthy gums are also crucial to maintaining good overall oral health, and preventing toothaches. There are many other causes of a toothache, and many will vary with regard to sensitivity to temperature, sensitivity to sweets, and pain when applying pressure.
If you have a toothache that lasts longer than a few days, or is painful, call the office of Dr. Jay Anderson at 701-775-3989.
Jay A Anderson Jr. DDS, PC?
3425 South Washington Street
Grand Forks, ND 58201
(701) 775-3989
