If you have tooth pain in one or more of your teeth, then you might not yet know what the problem is. While a toothache is a sign of a problem, not all dental pain has the same source or needs the same treatment.
Read on to find out more about three common types of tooth pain.
1. Sensitivity
If you have tooth sensitivity, then your teeth will usually hurt when you eat or drink something hot or cold. You might not feel any pain or discomfort at other times.
Sensitivity is sometimes caused by enamel loss. If you lose some enamel on a tooth, then its nerves become more exposed. They hurt when they come into contact with something hot or cold. This is a permanent problem that might need some dental treatment.
However, in some cases, sensitivity is a temporary problem. For example, some people's teeth feel more sensitive than usual after teeth whitening treatments. This kind of sensitivity typically lessens over time.
2. Decay
If you have decay in a tooth, then the tooth will eventually start to hurt. Sometimes, the tooth might feel more sensitive. Or, it might hurt when you use it to eat. Decay pain is generally sharp and intense.
To start with, you might only notice the pain when you use the tooth. However, you also sometimes feel pain if anything comes into contact with the damaged area. So, for example, your pain might be noticeable if you breathe in cold air or brush your teeth.
Bear in mind that you can still have decay problems on a tooth that has already been filled. If the filling cracks or breaks, then decay can build up behind it.
If decay isn't cleaned out and the tooth filled, then this pain can become a constant ache. Your tooth will hurt even when you aren't using it.
3. Abscess
Abscess pain is usually the most painful kind of toothache. If you have a tooth infection, then you will feel it.
If you have an abscess, then you usually have a heavy throbbing pain. This might be intermittent at the start but usually becomes constant and more severe. The pain also intensifies if the tooth comes into contact with something hot; it will stop for a short while if you expose it to cold, say by swilling water around the tooth.
If you have a toothache or pain in some teeth, then make an appointment to see a dentist. Your pain, and its underlying problem, are likely to get worse if you don't have it treated.
For more information, contact a local office like Platinum Dental Studio.
Share20 July 2022
When I had my first child, I was a nervous wreck. Every book I read gave different advice, and I just wanted to be right! By the time I had my third child, some of the stress had abated. I now realised, there were tons of different perspectives on everything related to raising children including dentistry. To help parents, I have created this blog dedicated to unraveling dental myths about children. I am including posts that weigh both sides of issues such as thumb sucking, dental caries, breastfeeding, flossing and any other topic I can think of. I hope you find the information you need to unravel dental myths, but most importantly, I hope you find some peace of mind. With kids and dentistry, there can be more than one right answer, and I want you to be able to relax and go with the answer that's right for you.
