WHY DO MY TEETH HURT? TOP CAUSES OF SUDDEN TOOTHACHE

A sudden flash of pain is something you should not ignore. While most people associate this pain with sensitivity, it could also indicate an underlying dental issue. Luckily, your dentist can treat sudden tooth discomfort before it becomes a bigger oral health issue.

Below are some possible causes of sudden tooth pain.

Tooth Decay or Cavity

If you don't brush and floss your teeth as your dentist recommends, harmful bacteria can accumulate in your mouth. These bacteria will feed on the sugars and starches in the mouth and form plaque that removes minerals from your teeth's enamel. You can start experiencing pain once the decay progresses inside the tooth.

Exposure to Extreme Cold or Heat

When you have worn tooth enamel, the tooth becomes more sensitive due to the exposed nerves. If you have a sensitive tooth, you will often experience a sharp jolt of pain whenever you eat or drink something extremely high or low in temperature.

Gum Recession

Gum recession is the gradual wearing of the gum tissues that surround your teeth' roots. The gaps or pockets that form when gum recession occurs expose your teeth's roots and nerves, increasing your risk of tooth infections and gum disease. These infections can cause sudden tooth pain.

Sinus Flare-Up

If you have a sinus infection, you can experience pain around the rear teeth. However, since sinusitis isn't dental-related, your dentist will likely refer you to a doctor.

Fractured Tooth

Though your teeth have hard enamel, you should not use them for other functions apart from biting and chewing food. Anything that is not food can easily crack or break your tooth, and this will cause pain. An implant or crown is the only remedy to a cracked tooth.

Gum Infection

Mild gum infection can create some discomfort, but you will start experiencing toothache if the infection advances to severe gum disease. Though the pain will be in your gums, your brain cannot always differentiate gum pain from tooth pain. Anti-inflammatory drugs can help with the swelling, but you should visit a dentist for further assessment.

Impacted Tooth

If the space remaining on your jaw is not enough for wisdom teeth, the growing teeth can remain inside the gum. In addition, the growing teeth can also cause your teeth to crowd due to lack of space. The crowded and partially stuck teeth create a gateway for bacteria that cause painful infections.

In such a case, a dentist can perform minor surgery to remove the gum tissue to help the stuck wisdom tooth emerge. You can also remove the impacted tooth if you wish.

Teeth Grinding

If you grind your teeth when asleep, you may experience a mild ache when you wake up. Since the cause of teeth grinding can be psychological or physical, your dentist can suggest counseling or relaxation techniques or recommend wearing an occlusal splint in between your teeth when going to sleep. In addition, the dentist will rebuild the damaged teeth to prevent cavities.

Dental Abscess

A dental abscess occurs when you fail to treat a tooth pulp infection in time. Due to the painful nature of an abscess and the increased the risk of severe infection, treat it as an emergency. Your dentist can prescribe antibiotics or use root canal treatment to remove the abscess. However, if the damage is too big to repair, your dentist will likely recommend tooth removal.

If you have a toothache, you may not know the real cause of the pain. However, a dentist can assess your mouth to identify the cause and see if an advanced treatment is necessary. At Carlino & Paton, DDS PC, we ensure that our patients' dental visits are convenient and comfortable. Contact us today to experience our state-of-the-art technologies and techniques.