What are the Symptoms of Toothache?

Toothache can start suddenly and last for multiple days, depending upon the cause. It ranges from being mildly discomforting to severely painful (as it affects the nerves in your teeth). It can also affect your head, ear, and mouth. Following are some of the symptoms:

• Tooth pain ( can be sharp, throbbing, or constant).
• Swelling around the tooth and gums.
• Fever or headache
• Foul-tasting drainage from the infected tooth.

What are the Possible Causes of Toothache?

There can be multiple toothache causes, including:

• tooth decay
• a dental injury
• a cracked tooth
• a loose filling
• a broken filling
• inflammation of the pulp inside your tooth

You may also experience toothache if you have an ulcer, sinus, or a problem with your mouth/jaw.

Toothache Remedies

For temporary relief of toothache, you can do the following remedies at home:

• Rinse with saltwater – Saltwater can loosen debris between your teeth, acting as a disinfectant and reducing inflammation.
• Rinse with hydrogen peroxide – Hydrogen peroxide (3% solution) can also help reduce inflammation. Mix equal parts and thoroughly rinse your mouth 3-4 times.
• Cold compress – For swelling and pain, put a cold compress on the area that hurts. Repeat every few hours for 15-20 minutes.
• Pain medications –  They help reduce pain and inflammation. You can take a pain reliever like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Don’t take aspirin as it is an anticoagulant that thins your blood. In case you need surgery, it will increase blood loss.
• Essential oil for toothache – clove oil is a natural antiseptic that helps reduce inflammation. Put a few drops of clove oil on a cotton ball and dab it over the painful area.

When Should I See my Dentist?

You should immediately come to see us if:

• Your dental pain lasts for more than two days
• Your toothache is ever causing fever and headache
• If you’re experiencing toothache and ear pain on the same side

Getting emergency dental treatment is crucial to prevent the spread of potential bacterial infection to other parts of the body through the bloodstream.

How is a Toothache Diagnosed?

When you come to visit us, our dental professional will check your medical history. Then, we’ll ask you some questions like:

• Where is the pain located?
• When did it start?
• How severe is it?
• What makes it worse, and what gives it relief?

After that, a series of diagnostic tests are performed along with a dental x-ray. Responses to cold and hot stimuli, how sensitive a tooth is, and applying pressure – help us determine whether it’s inflammation of the pulp caused by a bacterial infection or something else. Often, the origin of a toothache may be from somewhere else than it might appear. Hence, it is important to consult a dental professional, so they can perform a complete evaluation of the problem and treat it accordingly.

Treatment

Your treatment will entirely depend on the cause of the problem.

• If it’s a cavity causing the toothache, our doctors will fill the cavity or in severe cases, remove the tooth.
• In case of a bacterial infection inside the tooth, the infected pulp is extracted and replaced with sealing material. This procedure is known as a root canal.
• In case of swelling of the gum, a painkiller is prescribed. Sometimes, a small piece of food can be stuck under the gum, causing an infection. So, a deep cleaning followed by periodontal therapy may be recommended.

Contact us now for a session with our highly experienced dentist.