Ask a person who has suffered decay in the tooth to tell what a toothache is. It is true that toothaches are the sharp and acute pain. This is due to the fact that the mouth region has a rich supply of nerves to the tongue, inner cheeks, all individual teeth, and the gums. So any impact or infection in the oral region causes an acute and sharp toothache. But is an infection of the teeth the only reason for a toothache? Let us find out.

Common Reasons for Toothache

A toothache may be because of many reasons. They are

1. Tooth Decay – This is the most common problem of all. If the oral region is not maintained well, the plaque-causing bacteria grows out of control and can cause decay.
2. Tooth Abscess – A pocket of pus formed around the root of the tooth is termed as an abscess. They are formed mostly because the infection has traveled deep down the pulp.
3. Tooth Fractures – A fall or an injury can fracture the tooth. What we dismiss as mere crack can cause infection of the teeth in due course. The infection can travel deep down the root and can cause an unbearable toothache.
4. Wisdom Tooth Impaction – This is due to the wisdom tooth that is found in the wrong position and is impacting the adjacent tooth.
5. Wisdom Tooth Eruption – Sometimes the wisdom tooth might erupt. Albeit in the right position, they may be stuck under the gums and they might not have a place to erupt. So they might push against the close gum and this might cause pain. An eruption of wisdom tooth can also be accompanied by impaction.
6. Gum Infection – An infection gingiva, a condition called gingivitis can cause a toothache. In most cases, gum infection is also accompanied by some amount of tooth decay.
7. TMJ Pains – Tempero Mandibular Joint pains can affect anyone. There is no specific reason why TMJ pain occurs. It is basically the pain in the jaw joint or in the muscles that connect the jaw joints. Some people with TMJ pain grind their teeth and make the condition worse. The TMJ pain mimics as if there is a toothache.

Other Reasons for Toothache

There might be other reasons for a toothache and that may not be essentially connected with teeth or the oral area. They are

1. Any heart conditions – Many research points to the fact that the general health of teeth is interconnected with the health of the heart. So it is no wonder that a toothache and certain heart conditions like angina and heart attacks are related.
2. Sinus Reasons – When there is sinus, the upper rear teeth are particularly impacted by the sinus to cause a toothache. This is because the formation of the sinus is found just below the nasal area and they tend to touch and push the root area of the rear teeth.
3. Ear infections – The ear is in close proximity to the jaw. So any infection to the ear can make us think that there is the pain in the tooth. A toothache is on the same side of the ear infection.

Some Symptoms of a Toothache

1. The sharp and acute pain in the teeth itself
2. Bleeding of the gums
3. Pain when chewing or grinding food
4. Tooth sensitivity to cold and hot food
5. Sometimes can lead to fever and headache

What to do in case of Toothache?

Get an appointment with our dentists at Oris Dental Center. They can help you find out the cause of a toothache. If it was because of any common conditions outlined then get the treatment then and there. However, if either of our dentists is of the opinion that your teeth, gums, and TMJ are healthy, then you need to consult other specialists to rule out other reasons that do not concern your oral hygiene.

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