7 Possible Causes of a Toothache ...

By Lyndsie

7 Possible Causes of a Toothache ...

I recently spent a miserable weekend researching all the causes of a toothache I could possibly find. An unexpected toothache is just the worst. It's scary, because you never want to take your dental health for granted. Your mouth can directly relate to other parts of your body, and you never want to mess around with a cavity, a crack, or an abscess. Any time you feel pain, you need to get to the dentist as quickly as possible. Of course, if it occurs on a weekend, in the middle of the night, or on a holiday, you may have to wait, in which case knowing the possible causes of a toothache will at least help you pinpoint the problem and perhaps find some relief until you can see your dentist.

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1

Grinding Your Teeth

Grinding your teeth is awful, but it happens. You may unconsciously do it in your sleep, or you may do it when you're stressed, anxious, angry, or upset. It can do damage to your enamel over time, and that's bad, but as far as the possible causes of a toothache go, it's one of the least serious. At least, it won't be serious if you see your dentist and get it fixed. You may simply need a mouth guard, and certain relaxation techniques are helpful as well.

2

TMJ

TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, and it creates the hinge and slide motions that allow you to chew, speak, swallow, and so on. You can suffer from TMJ if you have alignment problems, if the disk suffers from erosion, if the cartilage on the joint is in any way damaged, or if you suffer a blow or injury to your jaw area. It's a painful disorder, and it can definitely cause toothache. This is something that needs to be looked at quickly, but while it's painful and frustrating, there is a treatment option for TMJ.

3

A Cracked or Broken Tooth

There's no question that a cracked or broken tooth can cause a toothache. You may already know you have a problem tooth, but you can also break a tooth or suffer from serious erosion without immediately being aware of it. As soon as you do find out, whether it's because of the pain or because you physically feel your tooth crack or break, you need to see the dentist as soon as possible. In some cases a simple filling will take care of the tooth and erase the pain, but if it's a bad break, you may need something more.

4

Cavities

Cavities are certainly painful, and again, they need to be taken care of as soon as possible. However, you may not realize you have a cavity until your tooth starts to hurt. If you've had a cavity filled already and the tooth begins to hurt, then the filling may be damaged, breaking, or falling out. Fortunately, again, a dental visit can typically take care of the problem quite quickly.

5

An Abscess

An abscess is much more problematic. They can happen gradually or out of nowhere, and if left untreated, they're very dangerous. You absolutely cannot mess around with an abscess. In most cases, treatment will involve a root canal. If it's very bad, you'll need to go on antibiotics before any dental treatments, and you may need to have the pus drained as well.

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6

An Infection

There are other types of infections that can cause moderate to severe tooth pain. Gum disease, such as gingivitis, can do it, but there are also tooth infections that do not involve abscesses. Treatment options will depend on what's causing the infection and the status of the tooth where it's centered, but again, you'll probably need to take some antibiotics before your dentist can do anything else.

7

Sensitive Teeth

Sensitive teeth hurt! More often than not, teeth are sensitive to extreme temperatures. If your toothache occurred after eating ice cream or drinking hot coffee, don't automatically panic and assume you have a cavity, broken tooth, or an abscess. While those things are possible, and should be ruled out, you may just have sensitive teeth. Avoiding extremely hot or cold foods and beverages for a while will help, but you'll be happy to know that generally, if you switch to a toothpaste for sensitive teeth, you can go back to enjoying your ice cream cones or steaming cups of tea.

I know that suffering from a toothache is painful, but it can also be terrifying, especially if you're afraid of the dentist (hands up!). The thought of having a cavity filled, a tooth pulled, or a root canal can make you break out in a cold sweat – but it will be worth it, and no matter how bad your phobia, I promise that there is a dentist somewhere out there who can make you feel comfortable and unafraid. Have you ever been surprised by an unexpected, painful toothache? How did you deal until you got to the dentist?

Sources: mayoclinic.org, dentistry.about.com, aae.org, medicinenet.com, webmd.com

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we think my fiancee has tmj :/

TMJ is a normal structure of the body,if you have a problem with your TMJ it should be TMD (temporomandibular disorder). the next you will make an article such as this search a lot before you post.

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