Imagine waking up in the morning and sipping a piping hot cup of tea/coffee and suddenly experiencing this sharp shooting pain! OW! Or biting into that piece of steak at a Sunday brunch and OUCH! dental pain can occur suddenly even when you would have recently got your routine dental checkup done and there was nothing wrong. While you may thing something noticeable has to be wrong with your tooth for you to get a tooth pain, dental pain can be due to many reasons. Inflamed gums, impacted wisdom tooth, deep cavities, clenching of teeth to name a few. Toothache can present itself with various signs and symptoms – swollen gums, fever, bad taste in the mouth, sensitivity to temperature change, headaches. If you have experienced tooth ache for more than 2 days, it’s advisable to visit your dentist for a check up to avoid the infection from worsening.
If you experiencing tooth pain that is disrupting your day to day life; we are sharing the top reasons and how to get temporary relief.
1. CAVITIES / TOOTH DECAY:
The most common cause of tooth ache is due to cavities/tooth decay. This is a small hole created on the tooth surface due to poor oral hygiene; high sugary diet – if left untreated increase in size due to the bacteria eating away at the tooth structure.
Till you can get it treated, keep the tooth clean by brushing it well and rinse with some warm (NOT HOT) salt water.
2. GUM DISEASES (GINGIVITIS / PERIODONTITIS):
Inflammation in the gums due to poor oral hygiene is one of the main reasons for a dull ache which can lead to discomfort while eating. Increase in bacteria in the oral cavity is the main cause for the gums becoming red; swollen and red.
Make sure you brush your teeth effectively (2 minutes twice a day) and floss daily and use an antibacterial mouthwash.
3. TOOTH ABSCESS:
This occurs when the tooth infection has reached the inside of the tooth or the pulp chamber and spreads to the tip of the root and the surrounding gum. It can lead to severe pain; swollen gums; infected root and in certain cases bone loss. Usually due to the extent of the infection, over the counter painkillers are not very effective and its best to visit your dentist as soon as possible.
4. CRACKED/ FRACTURED TOOTH:
The most common cause is while eating popcorn or something crunchy. If the crack extends to the nerve can lead to severe pain and needs immediate attention. Avoid biting on the affected tooth till you can visit your dentist.
5. WISDOM TOOTH:
If you experience pain at the back of your mouth – upper or bottom teeth, and still have your wisdom teeth, it’s usually the reason for pain. It can appear as swollen red gum around the wisdom tooth area; sometimes leading to difficulty in opening the mouth and throat pain. Wisdom teeth can grow misaligned or sideways. Over the counter anti-inflammatory medications and regular rinsing with warm salt water will help till you can get it checked by an oral surgeon.
6. GRINDING / CLEANCHING (BRUXISUM):
While you may think that tooth ache is usually caused by poor oral hygiene, it can also be caused due to poor dental habits such as grinding and clenching your teeth that can deteriorate the tooth enamel and also lead to excessive stress on the joint(TMJ) and jaw muscles. Switch to soft food diet and apply warm compress over the jaw to relieve the muscular stress. Visit your dentist and get a dental splint or a mouth guard made to protect your teeth.
