Toothache? It May Be More Serious Than You Think

More often than not, it strikes you as a quick, fleeting pain—jarring you to the reality that something might be wrong—before it disappears. Invariably, the pain returns. When it does, it can be minor to severe, which might indicate gum disease, and it can be intermittent or pack a more sustained punch. But how would you describe it? Most often, you can tell you have a toothache if you feel:

  • A throbbing pain around a tooth or gum
  • An achy, tender feeling around a tooth or gum
  • A sharp, stinging pain when you touch a tooth or gum
  • A shocking pain when you bite down or chew
  • Heightened sensitivity to cold or hot beverages and food

feeling toothache

Answer the Warning Signs of Gum Disease with a Dental Appointment

A toothache can be accompanied by a fever, too, which prompts many people to take an over-the-counter remedy. This may be a fine temporary solution, but it is no substitute for making an appointment with central Florida’s most trusted and skilled dentist, Dr. Jeffrey Sevor.

A toothache is your body’s way of sending a cry for help, since it almost always is a sign that something is wrong with a tooth or your gums. Left untreated, a toothache will only get worse and trigger more pain, especially if it is traced to one of these seven serious causes:

Conditions That Could Be Causing Your Toothache

  • Cause 1: Gum disease, distinguished by red, swollen, and bleeding gums. Treating this and the most advanced stages of gum disease, known as periodontitis, is Dr. Sevor’s specialty. He has earned the distinction of being the first periodontal specialist to bring an FDA-approved, patented laser periodontal therapy protocol to central Florida.
  • Cause 2: Gum recession or detachment, a direct consequence of gum disease. When the roots of a tooth become exposed, they become hyper-sensitive to extreme temperatures and sour and acidic food and beverages.
  • Cause 3: Tooth decay, which first infiltrates the outer coating of a tooth (the enamel) before penetrating the inner layer (the dentin). A decaying tooth is usually highly sensitive.
  • Cause 4: Tooth abscess, when tooth decay reaches to the root and infects the tissue. Like gum disease, this condition can lead to bone and tissue loss and so should be treated without delay.
  • Cause 5: Tooth fracture, which can vary in size from a small chip to a large crack. If the fracture has reached the nerve endings, you’ll know it: the pain can be excruciating. Often caused by a fall or other injury, a tooth fracture also can be caused by biting into a very hard or very sticky food.
  • Cause 6: Misaligned or impacted wisdom teeth, which feel as painful as they sound, as teeth either press against each other or struggle to push through the gum line. Here, a vicious cycle can begin if bacteria takes advantage of this compromised state and then triggers gum disease.
  • Cause 7: Damaged filling or dental sealants, which serve as a buffer for fractures, pits, and grooves. When this buffer has eroded, you’ll also know it: the pain can range from a dull, throbbing ache to a sharp shooting pain. Only a dental appointment will spare your tooth further damage—and you further pain.

As serious as these seven conditions are, they are treatable. And they can be expertly treated by Dr. Sevor at Central Florida Periodontics & Implantology. Make an appointment and he will give you the benefit of a careful and thorough examination for gum disease before returning you to a pain-free state.

Since he is known for going the extra mile for his patients, Dr. Sevor also will educate you about good oral hygiene practices so that you can remain proactive about toothaches that could be the result of gum disease in the future.