Almost 95 percent of the people must have suffered from it at least once in their life. It is tiny but it has the capacity to keep people awake all night in excruciating pain. In fact, it is more painful than gout and kidney stone pains. It can strike you when you are most unprepared for it. You can get it when at work, or at school and even at home. Over 5 million people are affected by it every day. Yes! It is nothing but 'Toothache'.
What is toothache?
Toothache or Odontalgia is a situation in which any one experiences pain in or around a tooth or a jaw. In most cases, toothaches are caused by tooth or jaw problems, such as a dental cavity, gum disease, an exposed tooth root, a cracked tooth, the emergence of wisdom teeth, infected dental pulp, or disease of the jaw joint (temporomandibular joint). It can be a sharp excruciating pain or a dull throbbing ache which may get aggravated when you eat cold or hot food.
Sometimes, toothache also occurs due to pain in other parts of the body. This is called referred pain or radiating pain. It can be symptom of diseases of the heart (such as angina or heart attack), sinuses (air passages of the cheek bones), and ears (such as inner or external ear infections).
What causes toothache?
Generally, toothache is caused by poor dental hygiene. Bacteria in the mouth can form plaques that stick to teeth causing them to decay leading to toothache. But there are many other causes as well like:
- Dental cavity: It is the most common cause of toothache. In the middle of every tooth, there is space containing dental pulp. This dental pulp is a soft, spongy tissue which contains sensitive nerves and blood vessels. This pulp is surrounded by layers of hard tissue to protect it (enamel and dentin). Certain bacteria in the mouth convert simple sugars into acid. The acid softens and (along with saliva) dissolves the enamel and dentin, creating cavities (caries). Cavities can be small and shallow, or long and deep which can collect food debris. The inner living pulp of the affected tooth can become irritated by bacterial toxins or by foods that are cold, hot, sour, or sweet-causing toothache.
- Dental abscess: It is a situation where there is accumulation of pus around the root of a tooth. This is usually due to dental decay, but may also be caused by injury to the tooth. It can be extremely painful and can cause gum swelling as well.
- Exposed tooth root: Vigroush brushing can damage the gums or cause them to recede, exposing tooth root.
- Gum disease: Inflammation of the soft tissue (gingiva) and abnormal loss of bone that surrounds the teeth and holds them in place can also cause toothache. It is caused by toxins secreted by bacteria in "plaque" that accumulate over time along the gum line.
- Injury: Injury to the mouth, bruxism (teeth grinding), chewing on hard objects can lead to tooth fracture causing severe sharp pains.
- Sinus problems: Pressure from a congested sinus can lead to a toothache
What are the symptoms of toothache?
The symptoms of Toothache are:
- Pain while chewing
- Swelling in the jaw
- Increased sensitivity to hot/cold things
- Bleeding from tooth or gums
- Fever or headache
- Foul-tasting discharge from the infected tooth
- Soreness.
How to stop a toothache?
Although the first thing that you should do when you get a toothache is call your dentist, but there are some ways at home to control the pain until you are able to see your dentist. Here are some ways to fight toothache:
- Chew a clove (laung) slowly or bite on a cotton ball soaked in oil of cloves or apply clove oil directly onto gums or tooth. Clove oil contains eugenol, a chemical compoind which is a natural pain killer and antibacterial.
- In order to relieve the pain, place a clove of garlic with a little rock salt on the affected tooth.
- Over-the-counter pain killer such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen may be used to provide some relief. Take them as directed on the package.
- Apply a cold compress to the outer side of the mouth (on the cheek), at the site of toothache to reduce pain and swelling. Avoid application of heat as it is conducive to spread of bacterial infection.
- If you have a throbbing pain while sleeping; simply elevate your head to decrease the pressure in that area.
- To get rid of the discharge, rinse with warm salt water (add a teaspoon of salt to a cup of water). A salt water gargle helps reduce the intensity of pain and also prevent infection if you have mouth ulcers.
- Avoid hot or cold foods as they may make the pain worse.
How to avoid a toothache?
Yes! Prevention is always better than cure. So in order avoid toothache all together, you can follow the below tips:
- Brush your teeth twice daily using a toothpaste containing fluoride and floss regularly at night.
- Avoid sugary snacks. Bacteria thrive on refined sugar and starch and need this in order to create an acid to decay the tooth. Be careful about food that sticks to and between your teeth.
- Avoid smoking as it worsens dental conditions
- Ensure that your diet has plenty of raw vegetables and whole grain foods
- Visit your dentist no less than twice a year.
Something as tiny as toothache can bring the biggest of giants to their knees. Make sure you don't ignore your toothaches and give them the necessary attention on a priority basis.
Very useful article.