What Causes Tooth Pain, and How Do I Get Relief?

Pain is the most obvious symptom of a toothache. Still, you may also experience gum swelling and tenderness, fever, headaches, earaches, drainage of pus from the afflicted tooth, or chronic bad breath. Toothaches also vary in the intensity of pain they cause. Some people experience sharp, throbbing pain, while others feel a dull, consistent ache day and night.

Tooth sensitivity and pain are not the same, although both can cause concern. One way to tell the difference is to isolate the source of your discomfort. Tooth sensitivity generally affects various teeth, whereas a toothache can often be traced to one particular tooth. In many cases, tooth pain is also more severe.

Severe tooth pain that persists for more than a day or two requires immediate attention, especially if other symptoms like fever, headache, earache, or problems with TMJ accompany the pain. Delaying treatment won’t make your pain go away. On the contrary, your pain could intensify as your condition worsens. Dr. Boyd and our urgent dental care team can provide immediate pain relief, an accurate diagnosis of your condition, and quality treatment to restore oral health.

That depends on the cause of your pain. Decay, for example, can be treated with a dental filling. Dr. Boyd may recommend a dental crown for a fractured or broken tooth. Gum infections have various treatment options, including deep cleaning, antibiotics, and gum surgery if your condition is severe. An abscessed tooth may be treated with antibiotics and a root canal. Once we identify the underlying cause of your pain, we can provide the appropriate treatment to remedy the problem and give you long-term pain relief.