What causes toothache?

We’ve all suffered from tooth pain at some point before, whether it’s because of tooth decay, a loose filling or a crack in the tooth. Patients with a toothache are usually referred to an endodontist, a skilled specialist who is dedicated to finding the cause of the pain and who often perform root canal treatment. We’ve asked one of our highly-experienced endodontists Dr Satinder Matharu to explain the signs of toothache and what the possible causes may be.

How is a tooth composed?

A tooth is composed of a hard outer layer of enamel and dentine surrounding the pulp, which consists of blood vessels and nerves. Patients may complain of a range of symptoms ranging from mild sensitivity to acute pain and have signs of infection and swelling.
 

Who treats tooth pain?

A general dentist will usually refer a patient to an endodontist who has specialist training and expertise in diagnosing pain from the oro-facial region. They can assess and treat the pain with root canal treatment if it is required in a painless and comfortable manner. This is to try and save the tooth from extraction.
 

What are the possible causes of tooth pain?

A healthy pulp is not inflamed and will give a normal response to hot, cold and biting. The pulp may become mildly inflamed and the patient may complain of a brief pain when stimulated, such as sensitivity to sweet things or hot and cold due to a leaking filling. 



Sometimes there is sensitivity to hot or cold foods after dental treatment, which usually resolves in four to six weeks. There may be a sharp pain when biting down on food and a possible cause for this may be decay, a loose filling or a crack in the tooth with possible damage to the pulp. 



Often there is lingering pain after eating hot or cold foods, it may be spontaneous and causing difficulty in sleeping, indicating that the pulp is becoming increasingly damaged. 



If there is constant and severe pain, swelling of the gum and the tooth is tender to touch, the pulp may have died causing an abscess and infection in the surrounding bone.
 

What are the other possible non-dental-related causes of toothache?

Not all oral pain is dental in origin and other causes may be related to the surrounding tissues eg the temporomandibular joints or the maxillary air sinuses and diagnosis in all cases is fundamentally important.


You can book an appointment with Dr Matharu via his Top Doctor’s profile here if you would like his expert opinion for your tooth pain.