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Tooth pain is a common problem that can have multiple causes. Sometimes, the pain is temporary, for example, if you have a piece of impacted food stuck between your teeth. The pain disappears when you floss around the tooth to remove it.
Other types of tooth pain are more persistent and require expert dental care. In this guide, learn more about tooth pain, when it can occur, and possible causes.
Tooth pain is when a tooth feels uncomfortable or painful. The pain can be persistent and might be a dull throb. Other types of pain can be sharper or intermittent. A tooth may only feel uncomfortable or painful when you try to bite or chew.
Not all types of tooth pain require urgent treatment, as some can be transient. However, knowing when tooth pain can indicate a more serious problem and requires professional dental care is important.
Some of the different causes of tooth pain can include:
Your wisdom teeth are the large molars at the back of your mouth. They do not erupt until you are in your late teens or early 20s, or sometimes even later.
Wisdom teeth can cause problems, usually because there is not enough room for them to erupt properly. Consequently, they try to erupt underneath adjacent teeth or sideways through the gum.
These teeth are referred to as being impacted and may create problems like tooth decay or gum infections that can affect the adjacent teeth.
If you are a regular patient at Broadway Mall Dental, we carefully monitor your dental health, including wisdom teeth. Our dentists use digital dental X-rays to assess the location of wisdom teeth that have yet to come through. These images tell us if your wisdom teeth can erupt normally or will require extraction.
However, if it has been a while since you saw a dentist and your wisdom teeth hurt, schedule an appointment to come and see us. We can soon assess if your wisdom teeth are causing a problem and, if necessary, arrange for their removal.
It’s not unusual for a tooth to feel painful after a dental filling. The discomfort can continue for several days afterward, especially if you had more severe tooth decay that caused your toothache.
Any pain after a dental filling should be easily controlled with over-the-counter painkillers, but if it persists, please get in touch with us. We can check your filling to make sure it is secure. We will also check to ensure it isn’t too high.
When you have a new filling placed, we ensure it does not interfere with your bite by getting you to bite down on special marking paper called articulating or occlusal paper. This lets us remove any high spots so your new filling feels comfortable.
However, biting down on the paper can be tricky when your mouth is numb. When the anesthetic wears off, the filling may still be slightly too high and interfere with your bite, causing discomfort.
It’s simple for us to adjust the filling, getting rid of your tooth pain.
After a dental filling, you may notice your tooth feels slightly more sensitive, especially when you have anything hot or cold. It’s a perfectly normal sensation, and you should find that your tooth becomes much less sensitive within a couple of days or a week.
The sensitivity can be caused when the dental pulp, right in the center of your tooth, is slightly inflamed, called pulpitis. If this has occurred, the pulp can heal after a few days. However, very occasionally, the pulp may be unable to heal and will need to be removed during further treatment using root canal therapy.
If the sensitivity persists, please contact us so we can help you.
Some other factors can cause tooth pain, such as an allergic reaction to the materials used. This can occur if you have a metal or amalgam filling. If you think you have metal sensitivities or allergies, a metal-free filling such as a composite resin filling will eliminate this risk.
Your tooth pain can also be due to severe tooth decay, resulting in a tooth infection. In this case, you will need urgent treatment to prevent the infection from worsening and to save your tooth.
Any persistent tooth pain should never be ignored as it is a sign that something is wrong. If you experience tooth pain or discomfort, Broadway Mall Dental is here to assist you.
