What Causes Toothache? How to Treat Toothache?

by Abbas Jahangir · June 15, 2024

The painful feeling that occurs in the tooth and is disturbing to the person is called toothache. This pain, which has different intensities, can significantly affect the daily life of the individual. There may be different diseases behind the problem of aching teeth. Therefore, it is necessary to take early precautions against aching teeth. For treatment, the source of the pain must first be investigated. By knowing why tooth aching occurs, the necessary techniques aimed at healing can be used. For this purpose, an approach is taken that takes into account various factors such as the location of the aching tooth, the severity of the pain, and additional diseases. You can follow the rest of the article for detailed information about toothache and aching.

What is Toothache?

Teeth are formed as a result of different layers coming together. The depths and thickness of these layers vary depending on the tooth type. There are pain-sensitive nerve endings in the innermost layer of the tooth, called the pulp. The sensation of pain occurs when these nerve endings are stimulated as a result of various factors. Toothache is described as tingling due to the feeling it creates in the person. Varying types of tooth pain occur depending on the affected tooth and the reason behind it. Front tooth aching occurs as a result of the impact of the incisor or canine teeth. Pain in molars is described as aching in the back teeth. The bleeding of the lower teeth involves the teeth in the jawbone called the mandible. These aches and pains may occur in or around the tooth. Symptoms that may occur with toothache are:

Pain: It may be sharp or throbbing. In sharp forms, there is a complaint of sudden tingling in the tooth. In some people, it manifests itself as persistent toothache.
Swelling: Swelling may occur around the tooth due to the inflammatory process in the environment. It often accompanies conditions such as deeper tooth aching.
Fever: It is a symptom that may be encountered especially in toothaches caused by infection.
Headache: Headache is also a symptom that can be seen in complaints of radiating pain.
Hot or cold sensitivity: While some individuals do not have any pain under normal conditions, they may only experience tingling when exposed to hot or cold contact.
Foul-smelling discharge: It indicates a serious infection in the tooth.

If you have one or more of the above symptoms, you should consult your dentist without delay and be examined. Additionally, if you observe any of the following symptoms, you should immediately contact a healthcare institution:

Swelling spreading to the jaw and face
Complaints such as chest pain, shortness of breath or dizziness
Wheezing, persistent cough or blood in saliva
Difficulty breathing and swallowing

How to Treat Toothache?

There may be many reasons for toothache. Therefore, a correct treatment can be provided as a result of detailed examination of the factors. In cases of pain caused by decay, the infected area inside the tooth is cleaned. Then, the filling is made with materials deemed appropriate by your dentist. In deep caries that may cause tooth root leakage, root canal treatment may be required due to the pulp tissue being affected. Root canal treatment is a technique used to prevent tooth loss and prevent the spread of infection. In this method, cleaning is performed by removing the pulp tissue. The resulting gap is closed using a material compatible with the tooth. Tooth sensitivity is another complaint that causes pain. In the treatment of this problem, which is mostly described as tingling at the tip of the tooth, toothpastes suitable for sensitive teeth and correct brushing techniques are tried. In case of ongoing sensitivity, the dentist can perform the treatment with a method determined according to the condition of the exposed root parts. For complaints of tingling in individuals with teeth grinding problems, night guards, various physical therapies and drug treatments can be applied.

What Causes Toothache?

Most often, a toothache is a sign that there is something wrong with your tooth or gums. There are many reasons that result in tooth aching. The most common causes of toothache are as follows:

bruises
Abscess
Trauma
Infection
tooth sensitivity

Bacteria that cause tooth decay progress into the inner layers of the tooth over time. The innermost layer of the tooth, called the pulp, contains pain-sensitive nerve endings. Therefore, when the bruise reaches these nerves, tingling occurs. A bruise can result in an abscess if left untreated. An abscess can be defined as a sac containing infected material. If you think you have an abscess in your tooth, you should see a dentist immediately to prevent the spread of the infection. Apart from decay and abscess, another factor that causes pain is tooth sensitivity. As a result of the disruption of the integrity of the enamel layer covering the outermost part of the tooth, microleakage areas extending towards the root may occur. Pain in the root may occur through these leaks while consuming hot or cold drinks or foods. This condition is called tooth sensitivity. In individuals with this problem, mild tingling in the tooth may be observed instead of severe forms. In addition to the reasons listed above, some people may experience a condition that can be described as aching in all their teeth. Referred pain is a type of pain that occurs in a specific source but can be felt in different regions as a result of using the same nerve pathway. It should be noted that diseases such as sinusitis or trigeminal neuralgia may cause referred pain in the mouth area.

What relieves toothache?

Teeth aching, which significantly affects the quality of life, can also be a sign of different diseases. Therefore, it needs to be treated as soon as possible. In order to solve the problem of toothache, the pain must first be detected. Your dentist may ask some questions to characterize the pain:

When did the pain start?
Where is the exact location of the tingling?
How severe?
What factors improve or worsen pain?
Is it accompanied by fever?
What are the drugs used?

After these questions, which you can answer together with your observations, your doctor may want to perform an examination to detect the factor. As a result, a treatment is created that addresses the cause behind your toothache problem. You may be asked to use medications in the form of antibiotics, painkillers or gels. However, there are some methods you can apply at home until your appointment date. You can use painkillers by consulting your dentist and pharmacist. A point that should be particularly emphasized in this regard is that young children should not use aspirin-derived painkillers. Toothpaste for tooth sensitivity can be effective against microleaks. It is important to use up and down movements while brushing your teeth. During this period, you can choose toothbrushes with soft or extra soft bristles.

My Tooth Hurts, What Can I Do?

If you say your teeth are aching, the first step you should take is to make an appointment with a specialist dentist as soon as possible. Thus, you can take precautions against the progression of the problem that causes pain. You can find a solution to your complaints thanks to the treatment plan prepared by your dentist for the problem. In addition, you can shorten your recovery time by paying attention to some points before your appointment. Gargling with salt water may have an effect on your tingling complaint. Consuming as soft foods as possible is effective in reducing the pressure that triggers pain. Additionally, it is important not to use your aching tooth. You can avoid worsening your sensitivity by avoiding extremely hot or cold foods. One of the most important things you should pay attention to is to control your smoking during this period. Smoking has mechanisms of aggravating some dental problems. You can positively affect your recovery process by paying attention to these issues.

It is critical that you properly administer the medications prescribed by your doctor during the treatment period. For toothache and all your other oral problems, you should contact a health institution as soon as possible and get support from a specialist dentist.