Toothache has different types and it is the pain you feel in or near your teeth. Most of the time, toothache signifies that something is wrong with your tooth or gums.
However, sometimes toothache is referred to as tooth pain. This means that the pain is caused by a condition elsewhere in your body.
You can never ignore the toothache. A toothache caused by tooth decay can get worse if left untreated.
Toothaches are not typically life-threatening. But there may be symptoms of serious conditions needing urgent medical treatment.
In this article, we discuss toothache types and their meaning.
What Do Toothaches Feel Like?
Toothache types can range from moderate to severe and may be constant or intermittent.
You May Feel:
- Throbbing pain or bleeding in or near your tooth or gum
- Fever
- Sharp pain when you touch a tooth or bite down
- Your tenderness and achiness in or near your tooth
- The painful reaction of the teeth in response to hot or cold food and liquids
- Burning or shock-like pain, which is rare
The easiest way to know what causes a toothache is to visit your family dentist. X-rays and a thorough examination will help you focus on the best medication to relieve your pain.
Here Are The 5 Most Common Toothache Types and What They Mean:
1. A Dull Ache
There are different toothache types. This type of pain is a classic sensation of toothache. The pain may be mild to moderate. But it may feel like a dull pain, either in a single tooth, several teeth, or down your jaw area. These kinds of toothaches often come and go. But they won’t go away until the dentist has examined you because they are related to a more serious tooth condition.
What It Means?
A dull ache can mean something fairly simple, like getting a piece of food stuck in your teeth. Or it can mean you’ve got a tooth decay present. If you have a dull ache in the back of your mouth, it may be due to your wisdom teeth falling in. Or your pain may be a sign of nighttime bruxism. A dull ache combined with a sense of pain in your tooth when you bite down may also point to an abscess forming.
Brush your teeth thoroughly and brush your teeth first to dislodge any stuck food. If the pain continues or you find a pattern of pain, such as waking up every morning, it’s time to contact a dentist for help.
2. Tooth Sensitivity
Tooth sensitivity is a very common form of tooth pain that can arise suddenly or be a chronic condition experienced by individuals. Tooth sensitivity pain typically happens when the teeth are exposed to extremely cold or hot food or drink. The pain is always very sudden. And it happens as soon as the food or drinks touches the surface of your teeth. The pain may go away in a few moments, or it may last for hours. The second one points to a very severe problem.
What It Means?
Tooth sensitivity is often associated with weakened tooth enamel or receding gums. If you visit the dentist regularly and begin to experience tooth sensitivity, it may be due to enamel wear. However, extreme tooth sensitivity may be due to severe tooth decay or broken tooth, leading to root exposure.
Switching your toothpaste to one made for sensitive teeth can help reduce your teeth’ sensitivity. Your dentist will help guide you to the best of choices. Avoiding hot and cold meals or liquids is also a good idea to keep the pain away. Also, acidic foods can worsen the pain of sensitivity by exacerbating enamel wear.
3. Sharp Tooth Pain
Sharp pain can be very painful and usually happens when the problem tooth touches another tooth or food item when you bite. An aching or throbbing sensation will also follow this form of pain. But the difference is the initial, very sharp pain induces the toothache. You do not really feel chronic pain in certain cases. But you may experience it only when you happen to bite down the “wrong way.”
What It Means?
Sharp pain may usually be pinpointed to a single tooth, which usually means that some damage has occurred. You can feel a chipped or broken part of your tooth when you brush over your tongue. In some cases, the tooth might also be broken. But you can’t see the fracture when looking in the mirror. Sharp pain in a tooth with a filling or crown will also lead to the restoration’s underlying problem.
This form of pain always requires a dental appointment, even though the pain does not seem to last. A damaged tooth can easily wear away from what should have been an easy filling to what could eventually require a dental crown. Worse yet, a broken tooth can break entirely with less pressure than you would think.
4. Throbbing Tooth Pain
It is really painful and frustrating to live with a throbbing toothache. This type of pain can suddenly or gradually worsen from extreme pain to throbbing pain. The throbbing feeling may appear limited to one or more teeth or may extend to your jaw. It may even appear on the side of your face. You might also notice that the gums look swollen and red.
What It Means?
Extreme, throbbing tooth pain is a serious source of concern. It may be induced by broken teeth or untreated recurrent gum disease (periodontitis) that has exposed the roots or nerves of your teeth. Untreated tooth decay will also wear down your enamel so badly that it reveals the pulp layer within your tooth.
While you should take OTC medicine and use hot or cold compresses to relieve the pain, this toothache type can never be overlooked. It’s important to call your dentist for help right away.
5. Extreme or Debilitating Tooth Pain
Without immediate action, a debilitating toothache can easily turn into a severe, painful toothache. This Level of a toothache can make you feel dizzy, sick, and unable to do much more than concentrate on how painful your tooth hurts. You may even feel like you need to go to the ER for help.
What It Means?
Various problems can cause extreme or debilitating pain. These include trauma to teeth due to an accident, tooth shattering, and pulp and nerves exposure. If you ever experience painful pressure or notice facial swelling, the chances are high that you’ve also developed an abscess. Oral infections such as abscesses are extremely serious.
If your dentist’s office is open, contact your dentist right away. However, if it’s outside your dentist’s business hours
The Bottom Line
In most cases, if you have a toothache, it’s a good idea to have your dentist examined.
At-home toothache remedies may help you manage the pain and even seem to heal your toothache. But, problems like untreated tooth decay do not go away independently. To ensure that your oral health doesn’t get worse, we recommend that you use at-home remedies only as a way to relieve your pain until your dentist’s appointment.
