If you're feeling a severe and continuing pain from one particular area of your teeth (even if you can't tell exactly which one), this could mean the pulp, the tooth's innermost layer, has become infected with decay. The pain is emanating from nerves within the pulp coming under attack from the decay.

Can a dentist tell which tooth is causing pain?

A toothache means you have tooth decay, right? Not necessarily — your pain could be signaling a number of potential causes. Determining where, how much and how often it hurts will help us find out the cause and apply the appropriate treatment.

Why it's so hard to tell which tooth has the ache?

When it comes to a toothache, the brain doesn't discriminate. A new imaging study shows that to the brain, a painful upper tooth feels a lot like a painful lower tooth. The results, which will be published in the journal Pain, help explain why patients are notoriously bad at pinpointing a toothache.

How can you tell the difference between tooth pain?

Here are the four most common types of toothaches and what they mean:

1. Dull, Persistent Ache. This is the most common type of toothache pain. ...
2. Sensitivity to Hot and Cold. Dental sensitivity is common, but it can be a serious issue. ...
3. Sharp Pain. ...
4. Severe, Throbbing Pain. ...
5. Other Types of Toothaches.

Can one toothache cause other teeth to hurt?

Tooth pain can affect a single tooth or multiple teeth. It might also be accompanied by pain in other parts of the mouth, such as the gums and jaw.

How to Know If Your Tooth Pain Is an Emergency

23 related questions found

Can an infected tooth cause pain in other places?

It starts with a toothache. If your sore and throbbing tooth is left untreated, it could become infected. If your tooth becomes infected and isn't treated, the infection could spread to other places in your body.

What is the best painkiller for toothache?

Ibuprofen is the most commonly recommended pain reliever for dental pain. That's because, in addition to pain relief, NSAIDs also reduce inflammation. Ibuprofen isn't appropriate for everyone, though. For example, people who take certain medications or have certain health conditions need to avoid NSAIDs.

What can mimic a toothache?

Jaw joints.

The joints can become inflamed due to stress or trauma and the associated muscles begin spasming, causing severe pain. Because of their proximity to the teeth, the pain from the joints can radiate into the dental area and mimic a toothache.

What does nerve pain in tooth feel like?

Tooth nerve pain can feel like a sharp, stabbing pain or a dull ache. If your tooth nerve is exposed, particular foods and drinks will probably trigger the pain.

How long does it take for a tooth nerve to settle down?

The nerve should heal itself, but if pain or sensitivity does not subside within two to four weeks, dental intervention may be required.

Why does it hurt when I tap my tooth?

If tapping lightly on the tooth causes acute pain, this is usually a sign of local infection. Infections can often be treated with the simple use of antibiotics, but, in severe cases, an abscess may develop in the gums, teeth or bone of the jaw that may require surgical drainage.

Which tooth is most painful to extract?

Lower back teeth are typically the hardest to anesthetize. This is because it requires a little more work in terms of numbing the nerve endings, which are more plentiful at the back, lower part of the jaw.

How do you know if root canal is needed?

Root canal symptoms

• Persistent pain. Persistent tooth pain is one of the signs that you may need a root canal. ...
• Sensitivity to heat and cold. ...
• Tooth discoloration. ...
• Swollen gums. ...
• Pain when you eat or touch the tooth. ...
• A chipped or cracked tooth. ...
• Tooth mobility.

What are the symptoms of a root canal infection?

pus discharge that's greenish, yellowish, or otherwise discolored. red, warm, swollen tissue near the tooth, especially the gums under or around the tooth — in some cases, swelling can affect your face and neck, too. tenderness or discomfort in swollen tissue, especially when you touch or apply pressure to it.

Is it better to have root canal or extraction?

The resounding answer to this question is YES. Root canal therapy involves lower overall cost, less discomfort, and less time spent in the dentist's chair. Though tooth extraction may look like an attractive option initially, it's clear that root canal treatment is the ideal treatment option.

Why you should never get a root canal?

An infection does not just disappear when treatment is not administered. It can travel through the tooth's root to the jawbone and create abscesses. An abscess leads to more pain and inflammation throughout the body. It can eventually lead to heart disease or a stroke.

How do you know if a tooth nerve is exposed?

Exposed Tooth Root Symptoms

Sensitivity pain that persists long after your tooth came in contact with hot or cold beverages and food. Tender, swollen, or bleeding gums. Discoloration of the affected tooth. Infection of the nerve of the tooth, often accompanied by swelling and pain.

How do you calm tooth nerve pain?

10 Proven Ways to Treat a Toothache and Relieve Pain Fast

1. Apply a cold compress.
2. Take an anti-inflammatory.
3. Rinse with salt water.
4. Use a hot pack.
5. Try acupressure.
6. Use peppermint tea bags.
7. Try garlic.
8. Rinse with a guava mouthwash.

How do you know if you have nerve damage in a tooth?

What Will I Feel If I Have A Damaged Tooth Nerve?

1. A dull ache along the gum line.
2. Pain that targets a single tooth or radiates throughout the mouth.
3. Discomfort that worsens after eating, especially following meals that are hot, cold, or acidic.

Can tooth pain radiate to other side of mouth?

Once bacteria penetrates the pulp, it causes the pulp to swell, and where there's no more space inside the tooth to contain the swelling, it can extend discomfort from the root of the tooth to the bone, resulting in severe pain that radiates to other parts of the mouth.

Can toothache be nothing?

If It Isn't Tooth Pain, Then What Is It? It is possible for you to feel pain in your teeth although no issue exists in that location. If your dentist checks out your oral health and doesn't find anything, there could be a variety of possibilities to the true source of pain. This type of pain is known as referred pain.

What does an inflamed tooth ligament feel like?

The initial symptom from a tooth sprain is pain. Dentists specifically look for dull or achy pain as indication of a ligament sprain. You may also experience a sharp, localized pain in one tooth. If the pain generates in an open area or is hard to locate, it may be indication of an infection or toothache.

Is toothache the worst pain?

Untreated Tooth Pain Can Lead to Serious Consequences. While their reasons vary, patients with dental emergencies usually have one common denominator: tooth pain. It's a unique pain, usually described as the worst pain our patients have ever experienced.

What do you do if your tooth is unbearable?

Helpful Methods for Dealing with Excruciating Toothaches

1. Over-The-Counter Medications. ...
2. Cold Compress. ...
3. Elevation. ...
4. Saltwater Rinse. ...
5. Medicated Ointments. ...
6. Hydrogen Peroxide Rinse. ...
7. Clove Oil. ...
8. Garlic.

Does a throbbing tooth mean infection?

Throbbing tooth pain usually indicates that there is an injury or infection in the mouth. In most cases, this will be a cavity or an abscess. A person cannot diagnose the cause of throbbing tooth pain based on their symptoms alone, and it is not always possible to see injuries or abscesses.