Common Causes and Symptoms of Toothache

A toothache can be associated with minor discomfort or crippling pain. Regardless of the severity, a toothache should not be ignored. Patients can seek treatment from the best dentists in Denton to relieve their tooth pain and correct the underlying problem.

A tooth’s outer layers, the enamel and dentin, typically protect the inner pulp and the nerve endings it contains. However, when something exposes the pulp to the oral cavity, a patient may experience a toothache.

Any number of factors can cause a toothache, including decay, abscesses, infection or injury to the tooth. Advanced gum disease may also result in a toothache.

When patients come in with complaints of a toothache, dentists will gather additional information about the nature of the toothache and complete an examination to identify the cause. The dentist may also need to take x-rays to look at the interior structures of the teeth.

Dental pain is the primary symptom associated with toothaches, but jaw pain may also be present. A toothache may also be accompanied by a fever and earache or generalized facial pain, especially in cases of infection or abscesses.

The underlying cause of the toothache will determine how dentists treat it. If the problem is a small cavity, then filling it is likely to resolve the problem. Larger cavities may require more extensive treatment, like crowns or onlays.

If the toothache’s onset occurred after a dental trauma, a crown may be placed to protect the compromised tooth and reduce the ensuing pain. Sometimes the pulp is so severely damaged that a root canal may be needed to eliminate the toothache.

When periodontal disease is at fault, treating the gum disease, often through scaling and root planing, may get rid of the toothache. If the tooth’s root has been exposed due to receding gums, the dentist may recommend a gum graft surgery, as well.

After treating the toothache, your dentist may also recommend steps that you can take to prevent a recurrence in the future. Ask our dentists serving Denton TX how you can cut your chances of a repeat toothache.