What Causes Tooth Pain?
Tooth pain starts in the tooth or the gum around it. Now and then it comes from the sinuses. It is a symptom, not a diagnosis.
Common causes of tooth pain:
- ✓Cavities or tooth decay
- ✓A cracked or chipped tooth
- ✓A worn, loose or broken filling
- ✓A dental abscess (a pocket of infection at the root or in the gum)
- ✓Gum inflammation or gum disease
- ✓Food trapped between teeth
- ✓Tooth grinding or clenching
- ✓A high filling or heavy bite pressure
- ✓Sensitivity from enamel wear or gum recession
- ✓A dental injury
The Mayo Clinic lists aching teeth as a symptom of sinusitis. If your upper teeth ache during a cold, tell your dentist. If the dentist finds no dental cause, see your doctor about your sinuses.
When Is Tooth Pain a Dental Emergency?
Tooth pain is urgent when it is severe, getting worse, keeping you awake or coming with swelling or fever. Call us that day.
Book a visit soon if you have:
- ✓Toothache that lasts more than two days
- ✓Pain that does not settle with pain relief
- ✓Pain when you bite or chew
- ✓Red gums or a bad taste near one tooth
Our emergency dentistry page has the full list of urgent dental problems.
Do not wait for severe pain to fade. Mayo Clinic notes that an abscess does not heal without treatment. If it bursts, the pain can ease and the infection stays.
When to Seek Urgent Medical Care
Call 911 if you have trouble breathing or swallowing. Go to a hospital emergency department for a serious facial injury, uncontrolled bleeding or severe swelling.
Swelling that spreads toward the eye or neck belongs in hospital too, and so does fever with swelling that keeps growing. Do not drive yourself. Ask someone to drive you or call 911.
- ✓Trouble breathing
- ✓Trouble swallowing
- ✓Severe or spreading facial swelling
- ✓Swelling near the eye or neck
- ✓Uncontrolled bleeding
- ✓Serious facial or jaw injury
- ✓Fever with worsening swelling or feeling very unwell
Heart and Stroke lists jaw discomfort among its warning signs. Women can have a heart attack without chest pressure. A dental exam cannot rule out a heart problem, so do not wait for one.
Tooth Pain Symptoms We Check
Sharp Tooth Pain
Sharp pain when you bite or touch the tooth points to a crack, decay or damaged dental work.
What Causes a Throbbing Toothache?
Throbbing tooth pain comes from inflammation or infection inside the tooth or at its root. Cleveland Clinic links severe throbbing to infection in the pulp (the soft core of nerves and blood vessels). Abscess pain can spread to the jaw, neck or ear.
Cold or Sweet Sensitivity
Twinges from cold drinks or sweet foods point to decay or enamel wear. Gum recession and exposed roots cause them too.
Pain When Biting
A cracked tooth, an infection or a high filling are common causes. So are gum problems and bite pressure.
Swollen Gum Around a Tooth
Swelling near a tooth points to infection, gum inflammation or trapped food. Call us about any dental swelling.
Pain From a Broken Filling or Crown
A damaged filling or crown exposes the tooth underneath and leaves sharp edges. See lost filling or lost crown.
What to Do Before Your Appointment
These steps ease pain until your visit. They do not treat the cause.
Until you are seen:
- ✓Call the clinic and describe your symptoms.
- ✓Chew on the other side and choose soft foods.
- ✓Skip food and drinks that are very hot, very cold or sweet.
- ✓Rinse with warm salt water: half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water, then spit it out. Children should not do this in case they swallow it.
- ✓If food is stuck, floss gently to remove it. Do not force it.
- ✓For swelling, hold a cold pack wrapped in a thin cloth on the outside of your cheek for 10 to 20 minutes at a time.
- ✓Never put heat on a swollen face.
- ✓Ask a pharmacist which over-the-counter pain reliever is safe for you and follow the label. Ask first if you are pregnant or on a blood thinner. Ask too if it is for a child.
- ✓Never put aspirin directly on the gum or tooth.
Pain at night or on a Sunday? Ontario's Health811 line connects you to a registered nurse, day or night.
What Happens During a Tooth Pain Visit?
Symptom Review
We ask where the pain is and when it started. We also ask what triggers it and about any swelling or injury.
Tooth and Gum Check
The dentist checks the painful tooth and the teeth next to it, plus your gums and bite.
Bite and Sensitivity Testing
The dentist tests how the tooth responds to biting, pressure or cold.
X-Rays When Needed
X-rays show decay, infection and bone changes that an exam cannot see.
Diagnosis and Treatment Options
Your dentist explains the probable cause and the options that suit it. You hear the expected cost before anything starts. No pressure.
Possible Treatments for Tooth Pain
The goal is to fix the cause, not only to cover the pain.
Tooth pain treatment can involve:
- ✓A dental filling for a cavity or a small damaged area
- ✓A crown for a cracked or weakened tooth
- ✓Root canal therapy when the pulp is infected or damaged beyond repair
- ✓Emergency dental care for swelling, injury or severe pain
- ✓A cleaning or gum care when the gums are the problem
- ✓A night guard assessment for grinding or clenching
- ✓A tooth extraction when the tooth cannot be saved
- ✓A referral when the problem needs care outside our office
Tooth Pain vs Tooth Sensitivity
Sensitivity is a short and sharp twinge from cold or sweet foods. A toothache is deeper and lasts longer. It throbs or flares when you chew.
Cleveland Clinic explains that sensitivity starts when worn enamel or receding gums expose dentin. It can also signal a cavity, gum disease or a cracked tooth. Have it checked if it is new, getting worse or centred on one tooth.
Cost and CDCP Information
The cost depends on the exam, any X-rays and the treatment you need.
These are general market ranges. The estimate we give you before treatment is the number to plan around. Bring your insurance details and our team will review your estimated costs with you.
Grimsby Lake Dental is a CDCP provider and bills the plan directly for eligible treatments. Our CDCP page and the Government of Canada CDCP page explain who qualifies.
Related Services
Good to know
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes tooth pain?+
Decay, cracks, damaged fillings and abscesses are common causes. Gum problems and grinding cause it too, and so can a sinus infection.
When should I call a dentist for toothache?+
Call if the pain is severe, getting worse, lasting more than two days or coming with swelling.
Is tooth pain always an emergency?+
No. Mild sensitivity can wait for a booked visit. Severe pain, swelling or fever needs a call to us right away.
Is it gum pain or tooth pain?+
You cannot tell for sure at home. Pain in one tooth that flares with hot, cold or biting points to the tooth. Sore red gums point to the gums. An abscess can cause both.
Why does my tooth hurt more at night?+
Severe throbbing points to an inflamed or infected nerve. Book a visit soon.
What should I do if my tooth hurts when I bite?+
Chew on the other side and book an assessment.
Can a cavity cause toothache?+
Yes. Pain grows as decay reaches deeper into the tooth.
Can a broken filling cause tooth pain?+
Yes. A broken or lost filling exposes the tooth.
Will I need a root canal for tooth pain?+
No, not in every case. Many toothaches are treated with a filling, a crown or gum care. Root canal therapy is for a pulp that is infected or damaged beyond repair. Small damage can sometimes be treated to keep the pulp alive.
Does CDCP cover tooth pain treatment?+
CDCP can help pay for eligible treatment for eligible patients. Our CDCP page explains the plan.
Call a Tooth Pain Dentist in Grimsby
Have a toothache or a broken filling? Call your toothache dentist in Grimsby and we will arrange the soonest possible visit. Patients come to us from Grimsby, Beamsville, Lincoln, Vineland and Winona.