As a general rule, most people do not enjoy going to the dentist. There seem to be lots of reasons for this, such as cost, convenience, and anxiety. Yet, it may be surprising that one of the main reasons across all income groups is a low perceived need.
That means that we may experience symptoms of a serious dental problem but write it off as something that will clear up on its own. For example, using effective pain killers might seem more convenient than going to the dentist to investigate your tooth pain.
In this article, you’ll read about 5 signs your tooth pain should not be ignored no matter how many painkillers you might be taking. Given that pain can be subjective, it’s important to understand pain’s characteristics and not just the severity; read on to learn more.
1. Pain Associated With Oral Movement
This is the type of pain that seems to be in response to your mouth and teeth’ movement. For example, when you bite into something, you may experience severe tooth pain. The pain may be intense and sudden, or you may experience a dull pain that is uncomfortable but not excruciating.
You may also notice that the pain is localized to a specific part of your mouth or mouth. This should not be ignored, as it may indicate you have a cracked tooth. This type of problem may not be easy to see in the mirror or detect visually.
To identify if your tooth is cracked, you will need to see a dentist who’ll closely examine your teeth and perform an x-ray. If your tooth is cracked, this is bad news as it opens the door to infection and bacteria to get into your tooth and cause decay.
If it isn’t your tooth that’s cracked, then it could be a filling that has broken and exposed a nerve. Either way, if you ignore it, bacteria can build up and cause bigger and more painful problems later.
2. Pain Associated With Food Types
This is the type of pain that you know is connected to eating certain foods. It’s not just biting down or chewing, but it’s always certain foods. Whenever you eat something hot or cold, you get to feel pain and discomfort in your mouth.
The underlying pain reaction may be similar to the reason mentioned above. You’re stimulating a nerve that has become exposed in some way. For some people, it is normal to have some sensitivity to hot or cold food.
Yet, if you are oversensitive, you may have a cavity that allows the temperature to penetrate your tooth and stimulate a nerve ending. Once again, if you leave this, it will only get worse.
If you’ve made a connection between your pain and sugary food, then you may have damaged your tooth enamel in some way. This is the protective layer of your teeth, which can wear down. Sometimes this is even self-inflicted through over-vigilant brushing and using certain toothpaste.
3. Pulsing or Throbbing Tooth Pain
This type of pain is one of the worse kinds as it seems to be present constantly or for long periods of time. As such, it’s not connected with eating or certain food types. If you live a hectic life, you could easily be tempted to down some painkillers and soldier on.
However, this is a red light in the dental world. You need to stop what you’re doing and seek immediate dental help. This type of pain can come from deep within the tooth in an area occupied by pulp. This is where all sorts of important connective tissue are based.
This includes the blood supply to your tooth. It’s possible this can get infected. If this happens, there is even the risk the infection could spread to other parts of your body. A dentist will seek to remove the infected pulp and seal the tooth.
4. Pain Associated With Swelling
Do not ignore this. If you have pain in your jaw or even in your neck and sense or feel signs of swelling, this could be very serious. Similar to point 3, the underlying problem could be an infected tooth. A product of that infection is puss or dead cells building up in the pulp cavity.
Root canal symptoms are similar, but the infection has spread deep into the root system of your tooth. With infection and a build-up of pus will come a painful swelling. You’ll need to seek professional help from an experienced dentist.
5. Pain and Pressure
Not all pain is equal, and not all pain is easy to describe. However, if you have pain and discomfort associated with pressure and soreness in your mouth, this may be connected to your wisdom teeth. These do most of their growing in your late teens and early adulthood, hence the name.
However, they may continue to shift and move in your mouth, as well as rise and fall relative to your gum line. This can cause pressure on your cheek, your gum, and other teeth. You might feel that you can endure wisdom tooth pain, but the problem is that they can grow twisted, attract bacteria, and become infected.
No More Pain
In this article, you’ve read about 5 signs your tooth pain is something more. Everyone gets occasional pain in their mouth from time to time, depending on what they eat. However, the pain characteristics described in this article indicate you need to do visit your dentist.
Often, pain is the body’s cry for help or action. If you ignore the pain symptoms in this article, then you could end up with something more serious and even more painful to put right. Check out more health and lifestyle insights on our blog.
