DENTAL PAIN
DENTAL PAIN: THE WHAT, WHY, AND HOW TO TREAT
WHAT IS DENTAL PAIN?
Often referred to as ‘toothache’, dental pain takes various forms. The pain may be mild or severe, constant or fleeting, dull or sharp, and concentrated on your teeth or radiating through to your jaw, ears, and sinuses. That said, we will make one assumption: Your sudden tooth pain will add a layer of discomfort to eating, drinking, and even sleeping.
WHAT CAUSES DENTAL PAIN?
Well – almost anything! Thankfully, our teeth are incredibly durable, made to withstand plenty of crunching, sipping, biting, and chomping. But, they’re not invincible, and so making your way past the enamel by just a few milometers will take you straight to the ultimate pain point; our nerve endings.
INJURY
It happens. From failing to dodge a football to biting down on an apple with force, injuries can sprain, crack, chip, and even cause your tooth to detach completely. By exposing your tooth pulp – the center of the tooth that’s home to your nerves – injuries are one of the biggest driving forces behind that dreaded emergency tooth pain.
INFECTION
It’s intense. It throbs. And it seems to appear with the click of a finger. Radiating through to your jaw, ear, and head, dental pain caused by an infection is recognized by a nagging pain that gets worse when lying down.
DECAY
Often caused by over-indulging in sugary foods and drinks, decay happens when a build-up of plaque releases acid onto our teeth. From there, small holes begin to form, allowing bacteria to make their way in. Many of us only realize we have tooth decay once these holes turn into painful abscesses or increasing tooth sensitivity.
TOOTH LOSS
Regardless of how you lose your tooth, from dental surgery and gum disease to an injury, it’s not just the affected gums that cause pain. Phantom tooth pain is a very real phenomenon, causing aching and throbbing where your tooth was, even though it’s no longer there.
WHAT ARE THE TREATMENTS FOR DENTAL PAIN?
DENTAL NERVE PAIN
- PAIN CONCENTRATED ON A SINGLE TOOTH. While it may radiate through to your jaw, and beyond, nerve pain tends to be worst in one place.
- ACHING ON THE GUM LINE. If your nerve pain is caused by decay, the first place you may feel pain is towards the gums.
- PAIN WHEN EATING. While discomfort when eating is a symptom of many types of dental pain, it’s one of the biggest pain points when it comes to nerve damage. It could be a sharp pain with each bite you take, or a dull ache that extends across the mouth, but it almost always worsens when consuming hot or cold food.
URGENT CARE FOR TOOTH PAIN
We understand. It causes difficulty concentrating, trouble sleeping, and an inability to get comfortable – and that’s before we talk about the mouth-clutching emergency tooth pain. If you require urgent care for dental pain, you don’t have to wait days for an appointment – or even visit the ER.
HOW TO RELIEVE TOOTH PAIN FROM SINUS PRESSURE
It’s a pain that’ll undoubtedly keep you up at night. It’s a dull ache that mimics some of the worst toothaches. And it’s a sense of pressure uniquely centered on the upper back teeth. But don’t worry – there is an end in sight for unbearable sinus tooth pain.
Your first step should always be to seek the right medication from a medical professional. In the meantime, staying hydrated to thin out the mucus, breathing in steam – from either a hot shower or a humidifier – to open your nasal passages, and using a saline solution to rinse out mucus can all provide some relief.
