It's common for dentists to see patients complaining of toothaches. Like most people, you will experience one in your lifetime, too. Nevertheless, if you're not sure what causes them or what dental treatments do to help, you may benefit from an overview. Read on to learn more about this ailment so that you can more effectively prevent or handle it.

Symptoms

There are several ways that a toothache could manifest itself. It may be a general sense of throbbing pain or sensitivity. Chewing, biting, and exposure to extreme hot or cold temperatures usually provoke a pang or stinging sensation. When touched, the surrounding area will likely feel tender. If the toothache is severe enough, you may even develop a fever.

Causes

Toothaches usually result from cavities. When you eat sugar and leave it on your teeth, harmful bacteria consume it and produce an acid that infects your teeth, causing decay. As the tooth is worn down, the nerve endings inside the pulp send pain signals. The infection may affect your gums as well, which would lead to gum disease and toothaches.

However, the problem could be wisdom teeth trying to push their way through the gums, disturbing the teeth and gums above them. The pain could also come from grinding your teeth, which may pressure and crack the enamel.

Less commonly, toothaches are caused by a larger medical problem, like sinusitis, jaw disorders, nerve inflammation, and heart or lung disease. These parts of your body are connected to the roots of your teeth by muscle, joints, and nerves, so issues with them may provoke toothaches.

Treatments

For a toothache that can be explained by a small cavity, the dentist will remove the decayed and infected tissue, clean out the tooth, and provide a filling made from metal, porcelain, resin, or even glass. A severe cavity may require a root canal or even tooth extraction. Gum disease can be resolved with a medicated mouthwash or a similar product.

If the toothache is caused by wisdom teeth, you may need surgery to remove them. You could use mouth guards to protect your teeth from grinding or reduce the number of stressors in your life so that you're less likely to grind them at all.

Toothaches resulting from underlying medical conditions may be temporarily treated with pain relievers. However, they won't go away entirely unless a doctor addresses the source of the problem.

Whenever you need to see a dentist about a toothache, go to Philmont Family Dentistry in New York. With over 20 years of experience in general dentistry, Dr. Tareq Khalifeh is passionate about providing personalized care and solutions for your well-being. In addition to treating your toothache, he'll offer education and preventative procedures so that you can continue enjoying your dental health. To schedule an appointment, call his office today at (518) 672-4077 or send a message online.