Having a toothache is absolutely no fun. It can be made a little tougher as well if you don’t know what’s causing it. You might feel a dull pain, soreness, or ache and you tooth could be sensitive to temperature or certain foods, painful when chewing or biting, or it might even be accompanied by a sharp pain. None of which are enjoyable.
We have many different methods we use to determine the cause of a toothache. We’ll ask you several questions like: Is it sensitive to cold or heat? Does it hurt to eat? Has it woken you up in the middle of the night? These help us narrow down the possible causes of a toothache.
We might also take x-rays to check for abscesses, cavities, or other hidden problems.
Some other tests might include a percussion test where we’ll gently tap on areas of the tooth or surrounding teeth to help identify the precise location of the pain. A biting pressure test, which can be used to pinpoint what area of the tooth is causing the pain. The cold air test uses a stream of cold air blown directly on the tooth to figure out where the sensitivity is coming from.
Once we figure out the cause of the toothache, we’ll take the appropriate steps to correct it and get you feeling better, whether that is through medication or an immediate procedure. If left untreated, toothaches will get more painful over time, so we strongly encourage immediate action.
• Tooth decay
• Inflammation
• Abscess
• Cracked or impacted tooth
• Gum disease
• Sensitive teeth
inflammation, an abscess, a cracked or impacted tooth, gum disease, and sensitive teeth.