The toothache symptom means you have pain that feels like it originates in a tooth. Although, pain that’s felt in a tooth may actually be caused by a health issue in another part of your body, what’s known as referred pain.
The primary cause of a toothache is a cavity. Generally, the first symptom of this decay is tooth sensitivity when eating or drinking something sweet, hot or cold. After, toothache symptoms may be painfully noticed all the time or just intermittently.
Toothaches caused by cavities develop because the bacteria that normally lives in your mouth produces acid that causes tooth erosion. And the reason a cavity looks darker is because only your tooth’s enamel is white.
A cavity isn’t the only possible cause for your tooth to ache. Other causes of toothaches are:
- TMJ
- bruxism
- gum disease
- tooth abscess
- fractured tooth
- jaw, mouth injury
- sinus infection, inflammation
- ear problem ~ earache, ear infection
Some of these health conditions will usually be accompanied by other symptoms, for instance a headache or fever.
Also, pain in the area of your teeth and jaw can manifest as a symptom of heart problem, like angina or impending heart attack. And certain chemotherapy drugs for cancer can cause pain that mimics a toothache.
Because toothaches can be here today and gone tomorrow, you may want to wait for your pain symptoms to persist for a couple of days before contacting a dentist. On the other hand, pain, red gums and foul taste symptoms of a tooth infection should be addressed immediately.
While you wait to see a dentist, here’s a couple of tooth ache pain relief treatment suggests:
- ice it
- take a OTC analgesics
- swish whiskey on it for a minute
- rinse mouth with warm water, warm salt water
- rub or ice the v-shaped area between your thumb & forefinger for 5 minutes
- clove oil compress ~ contains eugenol which is a natural pain killer & antibacterial
- apply an oral analgesic containing benzocaine directly on the site of your toothache
Avoid putting aspirin on your gums because it can burn the area, causing a mouth ulcer.
As for a dentist’s toothache pain relief treatment options, resolution of your painful symptoms may include:
- antibiotic
- root canal
- filling painful tooth
- removing pain causing tooth
Some of the ways you can minimize the primary cause of toothache pain is:
- limit consumption of highly acidic foods
- eat a bit of cheese with acidic foods or drinks
- drink soda or juice through a straw & no sipping
- don’t eat acid food alone nor just before you go to bed
Finally, you’ll need to neutralize digestive acid in your mouth if you suffer from GERD or excessive vomiting, i.e. from bulimia. To treat mouth acid chew sugar free gum to stimulate saliva, which neutralizes acid.
