Tooth pain can come out of nowhere. We’ve all been there: happy and pain free one day, but wake up with a gnawing pain the very next morning. It’s super frustrating, especially if you can’t trace back where it came from. McCabe Dentist Kingston Ontario says that in order to truly pinpoint the cause of your reoccurring tooth pain you have to take note of your daily activities and have your dentist take a look. They will probably take X-rays and perform a routine inspection, which most of the time they can deduce the source of the pain from.
If you have tooth pain, you might also call it a toothache and while there is sometimes a distinction made for the purposes of this article we are going to treat pain as pain, leave the splitting hairs to the dentist, and present to you common reasons for said pain.
Cavity
The obvious cause of tooth pain is that you have a cavity. The deeper the cavity and closer to the root of the teeth the more pain you will be in, unless you have nerves of steel or a dead root- in which case you will need a root canal.
Sensitive Teeth
Sometimes though it’s just because you have sensitive teeth and you ate something hot or very cold. Sounds trivial, but sensitive teeth are a cause of toothaches, especially if the pain start immediately of right after you eat or drink something cold/hot. You’ll want to confirm with your dentist because if you assume you just have sensitive teeth but you really have a crack in the tooth or an infection the outcome will end up worse.
Infection
A tooth infection, also called a tooth abscess is a serious condition that needs to be treated by a dentist. If you have a tooth abscess you will usually also have swelling around the area and your teeth will seem extra sensitive.
Gum disease
Periodontitis, or gum disease, is a serious condition where plaque has built up and has remained in your mouth for so long that your gums first start swelling, during the beginning, then start receding. Tooth pain can accompany gum disease because gum disease affects the parts and tissue that hold your teeth in place.
Grinding
If you notice tooth pain mostly in the morning perhaps you grind your teeth at night and just don’t realize it. This kind of pain will usually manifest in a general jaw and teeth pain, not in one specific area.
Abnormal bite
Finally, just because you haven’t had a bite problem before doesn’t mean one can’t develop. By an abnormal bite we mean that the way your jaw and teeth line up cause unnatural friction, pain and hinders the ability for the jaw and teeth to work properly. The abnormal bite may have developed over such a long period of time that you didn’t notice so it’s important to visit a dentist for a fresh set of eyes.
At the end of the day, we do not recommend self-diagnosis your tooth pain. The best and safest bet is always to go see a dentist before the pain gets worse.