Toothache

What causes toothache?

Dental pain can arise from lots of different things; a fall or accident, hard food, tooth decay, dental surgery etc, but the pain itself is caused by the sensitive inner workings of the tooth being exposed. Inside the hard mineral layers that make up the structure of the tooth, the nerves and root are encased in protective soft tissue, if a crack or cavity breaks through the enamel and dentin layers, it can leave the nervous system vulnerable to infection. With the root unprotected, any kind of pressure or even gentle touching together of the teeth can cause quite a lot of pain.

What else can cause pain in the mouth?

General sensitivity can cause problems for some people, it might be that they don’t like cold drinks or perhaps they find sugary foods trigger a toothache. There are toothpastes that can help alleviate the pain in this case, they encourage the re-building of enamel to cover the nerve endings and make the teeth less sensitive.

Abscesses on the teeth or around the gums are a result of bad oral hygiene; tooth decay rots away the minerals and eventually causes the teeth to fall out if not dealt with. A tooth abscess means the infection has spread beneath the soft tissue, it’s characterised by very sore, tender gums and sometimes swellings filled with infected liquid.

Tempero-Mandibular Joint – or TMJ – is a disorder that can cause quite a lot of discomfort to sufferers, although it isn’t necessarily related to the teeth or gums. Cracking or locking of the jaw is a typical symptom and most doctors or dentists will identify stress as a contributing factor in TMJ cases.

If you’re experiencing pain in your teeth or jaw, and you’re not sure what’s causing it, you can always make an appointment at the Pearl Dental Clinic and get your teeth looked at, a quick assessment will usually reveal the problem.

What can I do about toothache?

NSAID’s or Non-Steroid Anti Inflammatory painkillers are the best way to deal with a persistent toothache, Ibuprofen being the most popular and easiest to get hold of. Other painkillers may also alleviate discomfort, but won’t lessen any swelling or tenderness in the gums. Toothache is usually derived from pressure on tissue and nerves in the head, which means it’s not just pain that you need to deal with, it’s the inflammation of the nervous system – this is why NSAID’s are a better choice in these circumstances.

Numbing gels or pastes have also been known to relieve toothache, as some people prefer to treat the area itself rather than taking pills to block the pain receptors. Dental gels are good for lessening a small amount of pain in localised areas, but won’t be as good at dealing with chronic toothache because they are only mildly anaesthetic in nature and don’t last very long after application. Even stronger gels will only reduce pain briefly, this is because they don’t have huge amounts of painkillers in them, due to their gel form – i.e. people would find it much easier to accidentally overdose on a drug in gel form, as it isn’t divided into specific amounts like pills are.

Anything else I can do?

If you’ve taken your advised amount of painkillers and you’re still in pain, there are a few other things you could try just to ease the pain temporarily, until you are able to get to the dentist. If you know what the cause of the toothache is you might be able to help with the problem to some extent – for instance, if you have a cavity or decay that’s hurting, try rinsing your mouth with warm water or salt water, then use oil of cloves to sooth the inflamed area. This kind of treatment can ease the pain, but it’s no substitute for medical pain relief and shouldn’t be relied upon for long-term dental problems.

Nerve damage triggering a strong throbbing pain can really disrupt your day to day life, and it can stop you getting a good nights sleep. If you’re suffering a pulsing toothache it might help to sleep in an upright position – admittedly, not the most comfortable way to spend the night, but it does stop fluid gathering in the damaged area, which can decrease the pain to a tolerable level.

Different types of food and drink can really affect a toothache, so try to avoid foods that are high in sugar or anything hard that takes a lot of chewing, if you’ve got a painful tooth it won’t be able to cope with either of these.

What if none of this helps?

Whatever kind of toothache you’re suffering from, the best course of action is to see a dentist as soon as possible, don’t wait for it to get worse. Even occasional bouts of pain should not be left to deteriorate into acute toothache, the sooner the cause of the problem is identified, the sooner you will be able to put the pain behind you.

With general discomfort or mild toothache, you might be able to hang on for your dental appointment to see what the dentist can do to help, but there are some scenarios where you definitely shouldn’t wait around for a yearly check-up. Severe, stabbing pain is an indicator that there is something really wrong with the root of the tooth – it could be decaying or infection, perhaps both – and you should call your nearest emergency dentist straight away, this kind of problem won’t go away without surgical help. Fever, swollen gums or face, and bleeding or oozing around the area are all indicators that you should see a surgeon immediately, they point to infection and can be deadly if not treated in a timely fashion. In this case, NSAID’s won’t be enough to fight the bacteria; antibiotics will have to be prescribed in order to stop the spread of the infection. Some surgery may be required, including root canal procedures, extractions, or fillings, all of which are aimed at solving the problem and alleviating the pain for the long term. Remember, toothache does not arise out of nowhere, so don’t expect it to disappear that way either, leaving your teeth to rot or succumb to infection is the worst thing you can do.