One of the most annoying and sudden types of pain that you may experience is toothache, which is an indicator of the presence of a problem with the teeth or gums. Studies have indicated that the percentage of adults who have suffered from this type of pain during the past six months has reached more than 50%. The World Health Organization (WHO) also indicated in its statistics that there are 2 billion people around the world who suffer from pain resulting from caries, which requires raising people’s awareness and familiarizing them with the types of toothache and their causes, along with appropriate treatment methods.

5 of the most important types of toothache

The first thing the dentist asks when complaining of toothache is what type of pain and when does the patient feel it?

• اFor acute pain: It is the pain that surprises the patient when biting food and is linked to multiple causes, most notably tooth decay.

• Throbbing pain: It is a constant, pulsating pain that begins mildly and then gradually intensifies, and is often due to an infection inside the mouth.

• Back of mouth pain: It is a special type of pain that intensifies in the back of the mouth and is associated with a problem in the jaw joint.

• Tooth pain when biting: Severe pain with chewing or biting, often due to an abscessed or broken tooth.

• Allergies: It is a tingling sensation that the patient feels while eating ice cream or hot drinks, indicating an injury Tooth roots Or dental nerve.

Causes of toothache

We have collected for you, dear reader, all the possible causes of toothache that the doctor looks for at the beginning of the examination to treat them until he gets rid of the pain completely. These causes include the following:

• تسوس الأسنان: It is the most common cause and the pain usually intensifies with eating sugar or iced drinks.
• Dental calculus: Tartar causes cavities to appear between the teeth, where bacteria accumulate and the patient becomes infected.
• Gum disease: It includes swollen gums and gum infections due to severe bacterial or viral infection.
• Tooth abscess: The pain in this case is characterized by its severity, along with pressure on the teeth and swelling of the face.
• Teeth grinding: Some people may grind their teeth during sleep, which causes pain.
• Damaged filling: Some fillings may break or become damaged after years.
• Nerve caries: One of the most severe types of pain is nerve pain due to advanced caries.
• التدخين: Smoking causes damage to gum tissue, swelling and pain. 

What are the symptoms of toothache?

Symptoms of toothache vary depending on the cause, but usually include one or more of the following signs:

• Acute or persistent pain in or around the tooth, which may increase when chewing or applying pressure.
• Tooth sensitivity to drinks, hot and cold foods, or even sweets.
• Swelling of the gums or face near the affected tooth.
• Redness or bleeding in the gums surrounding the tooth.
• Bad breath or unusual taste resulting from an infection or abscess.
• Feeling pain extending to the jaw, ear, or head if the infection is advanced.
• The color of the tooth changes to brown or grey, which indicates nerve death.
• Difficulty opening the mouth or difficulty eating due to the severity of the pain.

Cause of lower front tooth pain

The cause of lower front tooth pain is not very different from the causes we mentioned, but the most likely cause of pain is the accumulation of tartar andالتهاب اللثة In that area, because it is one of the areas most exposed to the accumulation of bacteria and fungi inside the mouth, which results in severe gum infections, especially if oral hygiene is neglected.

Stop toothache immediately

Many patients ask about a method that helps stop toothache immediately, such as specific medications or any therapeutic procedure, but let us emphasize that the only way to stop toothache is proper medical treatment and removing the cause of the pain. Even with the use of painkillers, the pain will stop for a few hours and then return stronger if the cause is not known and treated. 

The difference between toothache and gum pain

The difference between toothache and gum pain lies in the source, symptoms, and causes of the pain. Toothache is the result of problems within the tooth itself, such as decay, nerve inflammation, or a broken tooth. The patient feels it as a pulsating or sharp pain inside the tooth. The pain may extend to the jaw or head, and the pain increases when eating something cold or sweet. As for gum pain, it often results from gingivitis due to the accumulation of plaque or tartar, and the pain is in the tissues surrounding the teeth, and appears with swelling, redness, and bleeding.

Relieve severe toothache at home

Can severe toothache be relieved at home?

However, the relief lasts for a short period, and then the toothache returns again. Severe toothache suggests the presence of a health problem, such as advanced cases of tooth decay or nerve injury, if it becomes more severe at night, which necessitates an immediate visit to the dentist to find out the cause of the pain and then treat it in the appropriate manner. 

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When is toothache dangerous?

When is toothache dangerous?

• Fever indicates a severe infection.
• Finding it difficult to open and close the mouth and feeling severe pain when swallowing.
• Continuous bleeding from the gums indicates acute gingivitis.
• The pain spreads to the face, ear, and the mandibular joint (TMJ).
• Severe pain that does not stop with medication and is accompanied by other developments such as swelling of the face and headache.

Toothache treatment

Dentists at Al Mousa Specialist Hospital are interested in making an accurate diagnosis of the patient before developing a treatment plan for toothache in order to find out the cause and treat it from the beginning until the pain disappears completely. Among the most important methods of treating toothache are the following:

• العلاج الدوائي:
  It includes painkillers such as (acetaminophen and ibuprofen) along with antibiotics to treat infections or bacterial infections in the mouth, which reduces pain, but temporarily, until the main cause is treated.

• Dental fillings:
  One of the most important types of toothache treatment is removing cavities and placing strong dental fillings that protect the remaining teeth and prevent a hole or complete damage to the molar or tooth.

• Root canal treatment:
  This treatment is used if the decay reaches the nerve, so the doctor resorts to killing the nerve and completely removing it from the roots, then filling the roots with a soothing substance, which helps the pain disappear.

• Dental tartar removal:
  This procedure positively affects the health of the gums and reduces inflammation, and thus the pain gradually disappears as tartar is removed and the pockets between the teeth are cleaned.

• Tooth extraction:
  In some severe cases in which the patient is exposed to complete damage to the tooth or molar, especially the wisdom tooth, the doctor may choose to extract the tooth as a necessary procedure to get rid of the pain.

• Installation of dental crowns:
  In the event of a broken tooth or molar causing pain, the doctor treats these cases by installing dental crowns to protect the remaining part of it, and this procedure is preceded by placing appropriate dental fillings from the inside.

Diagnosis of toothache

Diagnosis usually begins with collecting information from the patient about the nature of the pain, such as the location of the pain, its intensity, and timing, and whether the pain is related to food or drinks. The dentist then performs a careful clinical examination of the tooth and gums. The doctor may use tools to examine sensitivity or the way pressure is applied to the tooth to determine the source of the pain. X-rays are often requested to see the roots of the teeth and the surrounding bone, which helps detect deep decay, abscess, or bone erosion. In some cases, the doctor needs additional tests such as evaluating the nerve or consulting an endodontist.

Complications of toothache

Complications of toothache may be serious if treatment is neglected, especially when the pain is caused by deep decay or infection. The most prominent of these complications are as follows:

• Tooth abscess, a purulent collection resulting from a bacterial infection that can spread to the gums or to the bone surrounding the tooth.
• Tooth loss due to root erosion or nerve damage without treatment.
• The infection may spread to the jaw, neck, or even the bloodstream, posing a life risk.
• Bone or nerve damage resulting from chronic inflammation or recurrent abscesses.
• Having problems with chewing or speaking due to pain or tooth loss.
• Feeling a chronic headache or pain in the jaw if pressure or inflammation persists for a long time.

Prevention of toothache

Dentists at Al Mousa Specialist Hospital recommend that you follow some tips that will help you prevent toothache, the most important of which are:

• Quit smoking or chewing tobacco so that the gums are not exposed to successive infections.
• Conduct regular dental examinations and schedule a periodic visit to the dentist every 6 months.
• Brush your teeth 3 times a day for two minutes with a gentle brush and a fluoride-containing paste.
• Clean your teeth with dental floss if there is food stuck between your teeth, while avoiding injuring your gums.
• Reduce food that contains a lot of sugars and starches and avoid soft drinks.
• Rely on healthy nutrition and take nutritional supplements to compensate for the vitamin C and B deficiency that causes gingivitis. 

Frequently asked questions

Learn with us the most important questions we receive from our followers about toothache and its treatment, and answer them in detail: 

How to stop the pain of a perforated tooth?

You can stop the pain of a drilled tooth by treating it with a specialized dentist, who removes the bacteria inside the hole, cleans it, then fills the tooth with appropriate materials, and this entire process is done under local anesthesia.

How do I get rid of severe toothache?

Ibuprofen and chewing cloves may help relieve severe pain for a while, but this is only useful for reducing pain for a short period of time and not getting rid of the pain completely.

How do I relieve toothache at home?

There are some tips that help relieve pain at home, the most important of which are rinsing your mouth with warm salty water, taking ibuprofen painkillers, avoiding hot or iced drinks, and visiting the dentist. 

How do I get rid of tooth pain at night?

The cause of tooth pain at night is often the caries reaching the nerve, which requires taking a strong analgesic and going to the dentist as soon as possible to remove the caries from the nerve and fill it with appropriate materials so that the pain disappears completely.

How do I know the type of toothache?

للتعرف على نوع ألم الأسنان احرص على مراقبة خصائص الألم، فإذا كان الألم حادًا ومفاجئًا عند تناول شئ بارد أو ساخن، فمن الممكن أنه يشير إلى حساسية الأسنان أو يشير إلى بداية تسوس، ولكن في حالة كان الألم نابضًا ومستمرًا بالأخص مع تورم أو ضغط، فقد يكون بسبب التهاب العصب أو خراج، وإذا شعرت بألم إذا مضغت شيئًا ما، فمن الممكن أن ذلك يشير إلى كسر في السن أو مشكلة بالحشو، بينما الألم المنتقل إلى الفك أو الأذن قد يكون إشارة إلى مشكلة أعمق داخل الجذر أو الفك، والتشخيص الدقيق يتطلب

How do I know that tooth pain is due to a nerve?

You can suspect that tooth pain is caused by a nerve if the pain is severe and continuous, appears in the form of a throbbing or pulsing tooth, and may increase at night or when lying down, or when eating something hot. However, the pain caused by the nerve is often not easily subsided by using painkillers, and may be accompanied by swelling of the gums or face, or even a feeling of intense pressure in the tooth. In some cases, the tooth is very sensitive to touch or chewing, or its color gradually changes to gray, and this

What is the best strong pain reliever for toothache?

The best strong analgesic for toothache depends on the severity of the pain and the general health condition, but one of the most common and effective medications is ibuprofen, which is an ideal choice as it works to relieve pain and reduce inflammation at the same time. It is preferable to take it after food. If the pain is severe or does not respond to ibuprofen, it is better to use paracetamol with codeine under medical supervision. Both ibuprofen and paracetamol give good effectiveness without the need for stronger medications, but it is always recommended not to use antibiotics or strong analgesics unless

Toothache needs an urgent and accurate examination to find out the cause and remove it with the help of a specialized dentist. Therefore, we recommend that if you feel toothache, do not neglect or postpone a visit to the doctor, but rather contact immediately the medical team in the dental clinics at Al Mousa Specialist Hospital and you will find distinguished medical service at the hands of an elite group of the most skilled dentists in the Arab world.

Medical references 

Toothache: First aid – mayoclinic

What is a toothache – clevelandclinic