What is Causing My Tooth Pain?

What is Causing My Tooth Pain?

Find out when your toothache means it’s time to seek dental care.

There are many reasons why you may be dealing with a toothache. In some cases issues such as minor gum irritation due to cuts and scrapes (often from food) can leave you dealing with pain that will luckily go away on its own; however, there are instances when a toothache could mean there’s a problem that our St. Clair Shores, MI, dentist Dr. Sam Malouf will need to treat as soon as possible.

What is causing my toothache?

Here are some of the most common causes of a toothache that our St. Clair Shores, MI, family dentist sees in his practice,

  • Dental decay (this is the number one cause)
  • An infected dental pulp
  • Fractured tooth
  • Worn, sensitive teeth due to grinding
  • Food or object lodged between teeth
  • Erupting teeth (often wisdom teeth)

What are the telltale symptoms?

Pain can range in severity and type based on the root cause. Some people feel a sharp intermittent pain while others may experience a constant throbbing. Often, biting down or putting pressure on the tooth can make the pain worse. The tooth may also be sensitive to hot or cold. Along with a toothache you may also experience,

  • Persistent bad breath
  • Foul odor or drainage
  • Fever
  • Pain and swelling of the gums around the tooth

If you develop fever or drainage or you notice a foul odor coming from your mouth, these are all signs of an infection and they need to be treated right away by our St. Clair Shores, MI, general dentist.

Will a toothache go away on its own?

If you have food lodged between your teeth you can easily remove it with floss. In simple cases like this, your toothache should go away; however, as you can see from the list above, most of these issues such as cavities and an infected tooth will not go away on their own and will often get worse if left untreated. If you’re dealing with a toothache that’s lasted more than a day or two, play it safe and give us a call.

In most cases, a toothache is considered a dental emergency. If you are dealing with a toothache and need emergency dental care, Malouf Family Dentistry provides care in St. Clair Shores, MI, while also serving residents of Harper Woods, Eastpointe, Warren, Roseville, Fraser, Mt. Clemens, Clinton Township, Grosse Pointe, Harrison Township and neighboring areas. To schedule an immediate appointment, call us today at (586) 772-9020.

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