Common Causes of Toothaches

Common​ ​Causes​ ​of​ ​Toothaches

Two​ ​days​ ​ago,​ ​you​ ​felt​ ​a​ ​sharp​ ​pain​ ​in​ ​one​ ​of​ ​your​ ​teeth.​ ​Since​ ​this​ ​unexpected​ ​occurrence,

you’ve​ ​continued​ ​to​ ​experience​ ​intermittent​ ​pain.​ ​The​ ​discomfort​ ​in​ ​your​ ​tooth​ ​is​ ​beginning​ ​to dampen​ ​your​ ​mood.

If​ ​you​ ​can​ ​relate​ ​to​ ​this​ ​scenario,​ ​you​ ​might​ ​desperately​ ​desire​ ​to​ ​know​ ​the​ ​cause​ ​of​ ​your dilemma.​ ​The​ ​following​ ​issues​ ​are​ ​common​ ​culprits​ ​of​ ​aggravating​ t​ oothaches​.

Tooth​ ​Decay

Tooth​ ​decay​ ​results​ ​in​ ​cavities.​ ​Tooth​ ​decay​ ​can​ ​harm​ ​both​ ​the​ ​inner​ ​layer,​ ​dentin,​ ​and​ ​outer

coating,​ ​enamel,​ ​of​ ​your​ ​teeth.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​have​ ​a​ ​cavity,​ ​you​ ​might​ ​experience​ ​a​ ​toothache​ ​whenever you​ ​eat​ ​or​ ​drink​ ​something​ ​hot,​ ​cold,​ ​or​ ​sweet.

When​ ​foods​ ​containing​ ​carbohydrates​ ​such​ ​as​ ​bread,​ ​cereal,​ ​cake,​ ​milk,​ ​or​ ​soda​ ​remain​ ​on​ ​your teeth,​ ​the​ ​bacteria​ ​in​ ​your​ ​mouth​ ​transforms​ ​them​ ​into​ ​acids.​ ​The​ ​bacteria,​ ​food​ ​debris,​ ​acid, and​ ​your​ ​saliva​ ​join​ ​to​ ​develop​ ​plaque.

Sticking​ ​to​ ​your​ ​teeth,​ ​plaque​ ​dissolves​ ​the​ ​enamel​ ​on​ ​them.​ ​This​ ​process​ ​creates​ ​the​ ​holes​ ​in your​ ​teeth​ ​known​ ​as​ ​cavities.

Kids​ ​aren’t​ ​the​ ​only​ ​ones​ ​susceptible​ ​to​ ​cavities.​ ​Adults​ ​can​ ​get​ ​them​ ​too.​ ​As​ ​you​ ​age,​ ​your

gums​ ​pull​ ​away​ ​from​ ​your​ ​teeth.​ ​When​ ​this​ ​happens,​ ​the​ ​roots​ ​of​ ​your​ ​teeth​ ​become​ ​exposed​ ​to plaque.

Abscessed​ ​Tooth

An​ ​abscessed​ ​tooth​ ​is​ ​an​ ​infection​ ​either​ ​between​ ​your​ ​gum​ ​and​ ​your​ ​tooth​ ​or​ ​at​ ​the​ ​root​ ​of​ ​your tooth.​ ​This​ ​oral​ ​health​ ​problem​ ​usually​ ​results​ ​from​ ​severe​ ​tooth​ ​decay.​ ​However,​ ​this​ ​painful condition​ ​can​ ​also​ ​be​ ​caused​ ​by: • • •

A​ ​broken​ ​tooth

A​ ​chipped​ ​tooth Gum​ ​disease

These​ ​issues​ ​can​ ​lead​ ​to​ ​openings​ ​in​ ​your​ ​tooth’s​ ​enamel.​ ​Bacteria​ ​is​ ​then​ ​able​ ​to​ ​infect​ ​the center​ ​of​ ​your​ ​tooth.​ ​This​ ​infection​ ​can​ ​infiltrate​ ​from​ ​the​ ​root​ ​of​ ​your​ ​tooth​ ​to​ ​the​ ​bones supporting​ ​it.

Besides​ ​causing​ ​excruciating​ ​pain,​ ​an​ ​abscessed​ ​tooth​ ​might​ ​make​ ​you​ ​have​ ​a​ ​fever,​ ​foul smelling​ ​breath,​ ​a​ ​sour​ ​taste​ ​in​ ​your​ ​mouth,​ ​swollen​ ​neck​ ​glands,​ ​and​ ​a​ ​swollen​ ​jaw.

Teeth​ ​Grinding

Grinding​ ​your​ ​teeth​ ​on​ ​a​ ​regular​ ​basis​ ​can​ ​result​ ​in​ ​a​ ​host​ ​of​ ​oral​ ​health​ ​issues.​ ​People​ ​often repetitively​ ​grind​ ​their​ ​teeth​ ​due​ ​factors​ ​such​ ​as: •

Stress

•

Anxiety

•

An​ ​abnormal​ ​bite

• • •

Missing​ ​teeth

Crooked​ ​teeth Sleep​ ​apnea

Besides​ ​causing​ ​headaches​ ​and​ ​jaw​ ​problems,​ ​chronic​ ​teeth​ ​grinding​ ​can​ ​lead​ ​to​ ​fractured​ ​or loose​ ​teeth.​ ​This​ ​destructive​ ​habit​ ​can​ ​even​ ​wear​ ​your​ ​teeth​ ​down​ ​to​ ​stumps.​ ​This​ ​type​ ​of trauma​ ​might​ ​make​ ​you​ ​have​ ​frequent​ ​toothaches.

A​ ​Damaged​ ​Filling

Dentists​ ​treat​ ​a​ ​cavity​ ​by​ ​removing​ ​the​ ​decayed​ ​portion​ ​of​ ​your​ ​tooth​ ​and​ ​replacing​ ​it​ ​with​ ​a

filling.​ ​Besides​ ​fixing​ ​cavities,​ ​fillings​ ​are​ ​sometimes​ ​utilized​ ​to​ ​repair​ ​cracked​ ​or​ ​broken​ ​teeth.

Unfortunately,​ ​due​ ​to​ ​unforeseen​ ​trauma​ ​or​ ​normal​ ​wear​ ​and​ ​tear,​ ​fillings​ ​can​ ​become damaged.​ ​When​ ​this​ ​occurs,​ ​toothaches​ ​can​ ​happen.

If​ ​you’re​ ​experiencing​ ​a​ ​toothache,​ ​you​ ​might​ ​not​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​concentrate​ ​on​ ​anything​ ​besides your​ ​pain.​ ​You​ ​may​ ​also​ ​desire​ ​a​ ​solution​ ​to​ ​your​ ​problem​ ​as​ ​fast​ ​as​ ​possible.

If​ ​a​ ​toothache​ ​is​ ​plaguing​ ​you,​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​aforementioned​ ​issues​ ​might​ ​be​ ​to​ ​blame.​ ​Regardless of​ ​your​ ​particular​ ​situation,​ ​Dr.​ ​Shumway​ ​can​ ​provide​ ​you​ ​with​ ​a​ ​diagnosis​ ​and​ ​an​ ​effective treatment​ ​plan.