Toothache

We‘ve all experienced at some stage of our lives, that throbbing feeling that is toothache. Although there are undoubtedly more excruciating pains that are suffered, there is something about toothache that just nags away at you, so that at the time it makes it feel like there is nothing worse. Toothache usually refers to pain around the teeth or jaw, and in most instances the cause can be traced to things like dental cavities, a cracked tooth, an exposed tooth root, gum disease, disease of the jaw joint, or spasms of the muscles used for chewing. If the pulp (the inside of the tooth that has tissue and nerves) has become irritated, this also can cause pain in your tooth. The severity of a toothache can range from chronic and mild to sharp and unbearable. The pain may be aggravated by chewing or by cold or heat. A thorough oral examination, which includes dental x-rays, can help determine whether the toothache is coming from a tooth or jaw problem. Pain around the teeth and the jaws can be symptoms of diseases of the heart (such as angina or heart attack), the ears (such as inner or external ear infections), and sinuses (air passages of the cheek bones). The latter two often accompanied by a headache. Therefore, evaluations by both dentists and doctors are sometimes necessary to diagnose medical illnesses causing toothache.

The first sign of a toothache may be the pain you feel in a tooth when you eat something sweet, very cold or very hot and this very often points to decay. If you notice pus near the source of the pain, your tooth may have become abscessed, causing the surrounding bone to become infected and causing the painful toothache. Or the pus could indicate gum disease, which usually is characterised by inflammation of the soft tissue and abnormal loss of bone surrounding the teeth. To avoid toothache and or problems with the teeth, we are always badgered from an early age, to brush our teeth properly, and no doubt many regret not heeding the advise when reaching adulthood. It can be a bit of a bind, but in the long run, it’s probably one of the best things to get into the habit of doing, to prevent difficulties and recurring toothache in later life.