Why tooth hurts

As a result, the enamel that coats and protects your teeth begins to wear away and is not replaced. This can lead to sharp, stabbing pain that sends shivers up your spine when you bite into certain foods. Tooth decay, also referred to as a cavity , might be the reason why your teeth have suddenly started bothering you.

Tooth decay can linger on the sides or tops of your tooth enamel without being noticed for some time. Once the decay begins to progress toward an infection, you may start experiencing pain in your tooth. Gum disease, also called periodontal disease, affects more than 47 percent of adults over the age of Sensitive teeth and gums can be a sign of escalating gum disease.

You may not be surprised to learn that a cracked tooth or crown can cause tooth pain and sensitivity. But there are cases when you may have a tooth cracked ever so slightly, so that it causes pain but is nearly impossible to see.

One symptom of a sinus infection is pain in your teeth and in your jaw. As your sinuses become inflamed and filled with pressure from the infection, they can compress the nerve endings of your teeth. Grinding your teeth and clenching your jaws can lead to chronic tooth sensitivity, as you wear away at the enamel on your teeth. While many people clench or grind their teeth from time to time, high-stress circumstances or poor sleep can lead to you increasing this habit without you realizing it, resulting in tooth pain that seems mysterious.

Recent fillings or tooth work involving drilling can temporarily make the nerve endings of your teeth more sensitive. Sensitivity from a tooth filling procedure may last up to two weeks. Rinsing with mouthwash multiple times each day can lead to tooth sensitivity.

If you are experiencing tooth pain and find that you reach for your mouthwash multiple times a day, the cure to your toothaches could be as simple as reducing the number of times you swish to just once or twice a day. A very common indication of a sinus infection is tooth pain in your back upper teeth. This makes sense because of the close proximity to your nasal passages. You should go to your doctor to receive the proper treatment.

The temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, is what allows your jaw to move up and down. This joint is essentially the hinge that connects your jaw and skull to each other. Arthritis, injury, and other conditions can prevent parts of your TMJ from working correctly. This can cause a great deal of pain in your jaw and teeth when you chew. Talk to your dentist if you think you may be experiencing issues with your TMJ.

Pregnancy increases your likelihood of gingivitis. Gingivitis the term given to the inflammation of the gums and can cause bloody gums and tooth pain. While you are pregnant you are also more prone to getting cavities. Pay close attention to your dental health during your pregnancy, and you may want to see your dentist during this time. This is one of the more surprising possible cause of tooth pain.

According to studies, endurance training can cause your tooth enamel to wear down and lead to a higher likelihood of cavities. More intense workout schedules lead to higher chances of cavities. It is unclear exactly why this is the case, but it could be because of the change in saliva production during exercise.

If you are training for a triathlon and experience tooth pain, your intense training schedule could be the culprit. One possible but uncommon cause of tooth pain is a condition called trigeminal neuralgia. Some people are nervous about going to the dentist, and they will postpone a dental visit even if they have a toothache. Dental anxiety is not uncommon, and many dentists make an extra effort to make the care of toothache pain less stressful for an anxious patient.

The American Dental Association recommends the following suggestions for reducing dental anxiety, whether you're going to the dentist about a toothache or for a routine cleaning. Enamel Mouthwash Explore. A toothache—described as any pain, soreness, or ache in or around a tooth—can be a frustrating and unpleasant experience.

In addition to a sharp or dull pain, your tooth may be sensitive to temperature or painful when chewing or biting. In order to get to the bottom of your tooth pain, your healthcare provider will consider several potential diagnoses based on your medical history, dental exam, and sometimes an imaging test, usually an X-ray. Here is a summary of the most common causes of a toothache, ranging from tooth sensitivity and decay to serious infections, like abscess formation.

Among all the things that might cause a toothache, the most common are tooth decay, inflammation of the tooth pulp, an abscess, a cracked or impacted tooth, gum disease, and sensitive teeth.

Let's look at each of these potential causes individually. Gum Disease. Gum disease is characterized by infection of the gums. More specifically, with gingivitis , the gums become inflamed and become hot, red, and swollen. When an infection occurs in the gums, periodontitis occurs. This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.

Eventually, if left untreated, the infection causes bone loss and deterioration of the gums. Tooth roots are then exposed to plaque and become susceptible to decay and sensitive to cold, touch, and chewing. Tooth Decay. Tooth decay refers to erosion and cavity formation in the outer surface enamel of the tooth. When plaque—a sticky layer of bacteria—forms on the tooth enamel, it feeds on the sugars and starches from food particles in your mouth.

This produces an acid that eats away at the enamel, causing weak areas and holes. Over time, the enamel breaks down and a cavity forms. While cavities are generally painless, as the decay spreads inward toward the middle layer of the tooth dentin , it can create symptoms such as sensitivity to temperature and touch. Sensitive Teeth. Sometimes you may experience discomfort when your teeth or a specific tooth are exposed to cold air, liquids, and certain foods. This means your teeth may have developed a sensitivity linked to one or more stimuli, like cold temperatures.

Teeth sensitivity develops from exposed dentin—the tissue that lies underneath both the enamel the hard outer layer of your tooth and the cementum the tissue that covers the tooth root. Dentin may become exposed as a result of cavities, worn fillings, or from cracked teeth. Receding gums in gum disease or due to forceful brushing can also expose dentin, leading to teeth sensitivity.

Bruxism—characterized by clenching and teeth grinding, often while sleeping—may occur without you knowing it. But, particularly over time, it may cause tooth sensitivity, as well as tooth or facial pain. Inflammation of the Tooth Pulp Pulpitis. When tooth decay extends deep into the pulp of the tooth, pulpitis occurs. Besides tooth decay, other conditions that may cause pulpitis include:.

The main symptom of pulpitis is an exquisite sensitivity to various stimuli, largely temperature hot or cold. It's important to mention there are two types of pulpitis— reversible pulpitis and irreversible pulpitis. If the pulpitis is reversible, the pain or sensitivity stops within a couple seconds of the stimuli being removed.

If the pulpitis is irreversible, the pain can linger for minutes after the stimulus is taken away. Cracked Tooth. A cracked or fractured tooth may occur from trauma to the mouth, such as when an athlete receives a blow to the face.

In addition, the force from biting down on a hard object like ice or a popcorn kernel can sometimes cause a tooth to crack. Severe bruxism may also damage and crack teeth. Symptoms of a cracked tooth may include a sharp pain when biting or chewing.

Your cracked tooth may also be sensitive to hot and cold temperatures or to sweet and sour foods. Keep in mind, there are different types of cracks in teeth—and identifying the type of crack you have will ultimately guide your treatment plan. A dental abscess , which usually results from an untreated cavity or pulpitis, is caused by the buildup of bacteria inside the pulp chamber.

The infected pulp chamber then tries to drain itself out of the very tip of the tooth root. The pressure from the draining infection causes a constant pain that is worse when chewing or when percussed tapped on. If left untreated, the pain can become severe with swelling.

Impacted Tooth. Teeth can become impacted when they are prevented from moving into their proper position in the mouth by other teeth, gums, or bone. The most common teeth to become impacted are wisdom teeth because they are usually the last to erupt.

When the jawbone cannot accommodate these extra teeth, the teeth remain stuck under the gum. This impaction can create pressure, pain, and even jaw soreness. There are a couple of potential, though rare medical emergencies that may cause tooth pain or result from untreated tooth conditions. Ludwig's Angina. Very rarely, a submandibular space infection, also called Ludwig's angina can cause tooth and mouth pain.