While decay is often cited as the primary cause of a toothache other dental problems may cause a toothache including dental abscess, gum disease, grinding teeth, previous tooth trauma and an abnormal bite. Tooth eruption may be the cause of tooth or jaw pain in babies and school-age children.
TMJ, sinus or ear infections and tension in the facial muscles can cause discomfort that resembles a toothache, but often these health problems are accompanied by a headache. Pain around the teeth and the jaws can be symptoms of heart disease, such as angina. If your dentist suspects a medical illness could be the cause of your toothache, she may refer you to a physician.
You may have a dental cavity or advanced gum disease. The first sign of decay may be the pain you feel when you eat something sweet, very cold or very hot. If the pulp, the inside of the tooth that has tissue and nerves, has become irritated, this can also cause pain in your tooth.
Because the symptoms of a toothache may resemble other medical conditions or dental problems, it can be difficult to diagnose the cause without a complete evaluation by a dentist. If you notice pus near the source of the pain, your tooth may have become abscessed, causing the surrounding bone to become infected, or the pus could indicate gum disease, which usually is characterized by an inflammation of the soft tissue and abnormal loss of bone surrounding the teeth.
See your dentist immediately if you get a toothache. Your dentist will determine the location of the toothache, looking for signs of swelling, redness and obvious tooth damage. She may also take X-rays looking for evidence of tooth decay between teeth, a cracked or impacted tooth, or a disorder of the underlying bone problems. She also may prescribe pain medication or antibiotics to speed the healing of your toothache. If, by the time you see your dentist, your tooth has become infected, then treatment could require removal of the tooth or a root canal procedure, which involves removing the damaged nerve tissue from the middle of a tooth.
For more information, please call Dr. Sun at 661-799-8800, visit the website www.DrSunDDS.com or go to her dental office at 23450 Lyons Avenue, Suite B, Newhall.