Dental Pain
PUBLISHED IN TCI WEEKLY NEWS
May 23rd 2015
Dental pain can be caused by a number of different factors including decay, gum disease, abscesses or trauma. As an immediate measure I would recommend an over-the-counter painkiller and then a visit to the dentist as soon as you can to determine the exact cause of the pain after which the correct treatment can be carried out and the pain relieved.
Toothache is one of the most common causes of dental pain. It can be from a live tooth or one that is dead or dying; in each scenario the cause may be different.
If the toothache is a sudden, acute pain caused by hot or cold temperatures then is likely that the tooth is still vital (live). It is probably the case that there is an area of new decay which has reached through to the dentine inside the tooth and is causing the temperature sensitivity and the pain. This can also occur if decay has occurred under an existing restoration- a crown, bridge or a filling. Even if a tooth is already filled or crowned there is still the chance of further decay- and therefore the potential for toothache- if the teeth are not cared for and a good oral hygiene regime followed. In all of these cases it is likely that a filling or some other type of restoration is required.
