Tooth pain is information. What kind of pain it is, what sets it off and how long it lasts tell us a great deal about what is actually happening inside the tooth, and those differences change the treatment completely.
What different kinds of pain usually mean
Sharp pain with cold or sweet, gone in seconds
Usually sensitivity, a small cavity, a worn filling or exposed root surface. Uncomfortable, rarely urgent, and often fixed with a filling or a change in what you brush with.
Lingering ache after something hot or cold
If the ache outlasts the trigger by thirty seconds or more, the nerve inside the tooth is inflamed rather than just irritated. This is the point at which a filling may no longer be enough.
Deep, throbbing, spontaneous pain
Pain that arrives on its own, keeps you awake, or throbs with your pulse usually means the nerve tissue inside the tooth is infected or dying. This does not resolve on its own and it does not respond well to waiting.
Pain on biting
Often a cracked tooth, a high filling or an infection that has reached the ligament around the root. Cracks are easy to miss and worth catching early, because a cracked tooth that keeps flexing eventually splits.
Swelling, a bad taste, or a bump on the gum
That is an abscess. Antibiotics may quiet it down temporarily, but the infection comes back until the source inside the tooth is treated. Swelling with a fever should be seen the same day.
What happens at the appointment
We find the cause before we treat anything. That means an exam, an x-ray of the tooth, and some simple tests of how the nerve responds to cold and pressure. Guessing at a painful tooth is how people end up having the wrong one treated. Once we know what is going on, you will be presented options for treatment, what each option costs, and what happens if you wait. Often if signs of an infection are present, an antibiotic will be prescribed.
If the tooth needs a root canal
We do not perform root canal treatment at Cedars Family Dental. Root canals are done by an endodontist. What we do is the part on either side of it. We diagnose the problem, get you out of pain, refer you to an endodontist we work with regularly and help get the appointment made quickly.
Then you come back to us. A tooth that has had a root canal is more brittle than it was and almost always needs a crown to keep it from fracturing. That restoration is done here, and in many cases it can be a same-day crown, so the tooth is finished in one visit rather than two.
What you can do in the meantime
- Warm salt water rinses, several times a day
- Pain Relief: A combination of Ibuprofen and Tylenol tends to be the most effective (if you are able to take those medications)
- Sleep with your head propped up, which reduces the throbbing
- Avoid chewing on that side, and avoid very hot or very cold food
- Do not put aspirin directly against the gum
