Pain or inflammation in or around the tooth, often caused by tooth decay or infection.
Common causes of this symptom:
Toothache can have causes that aren't due to underlying disease. Examples include biting into something hard, flossing, getting something stuck in between the teeth or braces. In children, it's a regular part of the developmental process.
Self-treatment:
Flossing and brushing regularly to remove irritating food particles may help reduce toothache. Using pain relievers may also provide temporary relief, but it's best to limit use of topical medications containing benzocaine.
Seeking medical care:
●Make an appointment to see a doctor if you
●Have pain that lasts more than a day or two
●Can't work or complete daily tasks
See a doctor immediately if you
●Develop a fever
●Have red, swollen gums or foul-smelling discharge
●Experience difficulty swallowing or breathing
●Injured your tooth
#Why are toothaches worse at night?
This results in a buildup of pain at night time, causing discomfort. Your toothache can also appear to get worse when you get into bed. This is because, when one lies down, more blood rushes to the head, which puts considerable pressure on sensitive areas in the mouth.
Can a toothache kill you?
It's not so much that you'll die of pain, of course, but dentists and research confirm that an untreated abscess can infect other parts of the body, either through the bones or the bloodstream. Most people won't die from a toothache, but it's a condition that if left untreated can lead to the worst: a fatal result.
Causes:1:Cavity
Permanently damaged areas in teeth that develop into tiny holes.
Symptoms may include:Toothache,Tooth loss
2:Dentin hypersensitivity
A painful condition that occurs when the inner (dentine) layer of tooth gets exposed
3:Periodontitis
A serious gum infection that damages gums and can destroy the jawbone.
Symptoms may include:Toothache,Bad breath,Swelling
4:Gingivitis:A form of gum disease that causes inflamed gums.
Symptoms may include:Toothache,Bleeding gums,Loose teeth
Treatments:
1)Medicine:
Anti-inflammatory analgesics such as Ibuprofen are the best for toothache as the pain is usually caused by swelling. If you can't take them – if you are allergic to aspirin, for example - then paracetamol is the next best thing.
2)6 Proven Ways to Stop a Toothache and Relieve Pain Fast:
◇Apply a cold pack or bag of frozen vegetables to the side of your face
◇Taking an anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen
◇Rinse your mouth with warm salt water
◇Apply a hot pack to the side of your jaw
◇Acupressure may be able to reduce toothache pain by causing the body to release endorphins
◇Peppermint tea bags have mild numbing properties that can ease pain for a short time.
First aid Toothache: First aid
Learn what first-aid steps to take if you have a toothache
Tooth decay is the primary cause of toothaches for most children and adults. Bacteria that live in your mouth thrive on the sugars and starches in the food you eat. These bacteria form a sticky plaque that clings to the surface of your teeth.
Acids produced by the bacteria in plaque can eat through the hard, white coating on the outside of your teeth (enamel), creating a cavity. The first sign of decay may be a sensation of pain when you eat something sweet, very cold or very hot. Sometimes decay will show as a brown or white spot on the tooth.
Other causes of a toothache can include:
An accumulation of food and debris between your teeth, especially if your teeth have spaces between them
Inflammation or infection at the root of the tooth or in the gums
Trauma to the tooth, including injury or grinding your teeth
Sudden fracture of the tooth or tooth root
A split in the tooth that occurs over time
Teeth that start to appear (erupt) through the gums, such as with teething or wisdom teeth that don't have enough room to emerge or develop normally (impacted wisdom teeth)
A sinus infection that can be felt as pain in the teeth
A toothache often requires some sort of treatment by your dentist.
Self-care tips
Until you can see your dentist, try these self-care tips for a toothache:
Rinse your mouth with warm water.
Use dental floss to remove any food particles or plaque wedged between your teeth.
Consider taking an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever to dull the ache, but don't place aspirin or another painkiller directly against your gums because it may burn your gum tissue.
If the toothache is caused by trauma to the tooth, apply a cold compress to the outside of your cheek.
Use caution with products containing benzocaine
Previous advice included sparingly applying an OTC antiseptic containing benzocaine directly to the irritated tooth and gum for temporary relief. But benzocaine has been linked to a rare and serious, sometimes deadly, condition called methemoglobinemia, which decreases the amount of oxygen that the blood can carry. So follow these guidelines:
Talk to your dentist or doctor before using an OTC antiseptic containing benzocaine.
Don't use any products that contain benzocaine — such as teething gels with benzocaine (Anbesol, Orabase, Orajel, others) — in children younger than 2 years old.
Never use more than the recommended dose of benzocaine.
Store products containing benzocaine out of the reach of children.
Call your dentist
Call your dentist immediately if you have any of the following with a toothache:
Pain that persists for more than a day or two
Fever
Signs and symptoms of infection, such as swelling, pain when you bite, red gums or a foul-tasting discharge
Trouble breathing or swallowing.
