Tooth Pain

Description

Tooth pain is caused by a reaction of the nerves inside a tooth’s pulp chamber with the severity dependent upon the type and degree of the stimulus. The pulp contains nerve endings that are very sensitive to pain. Inflammation to the pulp or pulpitis may be caused by dental cavities, trauma, and infection.

A toothache may also be caused by

• Tooth decay
• Abscessed tooth
• Tooth fracture
• A damaged filling
• Repetitive motions, such as chewing gum or grinding teeth
• Infected gums

Treatment

The type of treatment you have for toothache depends on the cause of the tooth pain, so your dentist will examine your mouth and may carry out an X-ray to try to identify the problem.

• If your toothache is caused by tooth decay, your dentist will remove the decayed area and replace it with a filling
• If your toothache is caused by a loose or broken filling, the filling will be removed, any decay will be cleaned out and a new filling put in place.
• If the pulp of your tooth is infected, you may need to have root canal treatment. This is where your dentist removes the infected pulp, fills the space with a paste and may cover the remaining tooth with a crown to protect and seal it.
• If your toothache cannot be treated using these methods or your tooth is impacted (wedged between another tooth and your jaw), your tooth may need to be removed.