Toothache

A toothache, also known as odontalgia or, less frequently, as odontalgy, is an aching pain

Pain

Pain is an unpleasant sensation often caused by intense or damaging stimuli such as stubbing a toe, burning a finger, putting iodine on a cut, and bumping the "funny bone."...

 in or around a tooth

Tooth

Teeth are small, calcified, whitish structures found in the jaws of many vertebrates that are used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores, also use teeth for hunting or for defensive purposes. The roots of teeth are embedded in the Mandible bone or the Maxillary bone and are...

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Causes

• Dental etiology, In most cases toothaches are caused by problems in the tooth or jaw, such as
  • Dental caries
    Dental caries
    Dental caries, also known as tooth decay or a cavity, is an irreversible infection usually bacterial in origin that causes demineralization of the hard tissues and destruction of the organic matter of the tooth, usually by production of acid by hydrolysis of the food debris accumulated on the...
    
    
  • Pulpitis
    Pulpitis
    - Symptoms :Increased sensitivity to stimuli, specifically hot and cold, is a common symptom of pulpitis. A prolonged throbbing pain may be associated with the disease...
    
    , an inflammation
    Inflammation
    Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
    
     of the dental pulp. This can be either reversible or irreversible. Irreversible pulpitis can be identified by sensitivity and pain lasting longer than fifteen seconds, although an exception to this may exist if the tooth has been recently operated on. Teeth affected by irreversible pulpitis will need either root canal treatment
    Endodontic therapy
    Endodontic therapy is a sequence of treatment for the pulp of a tooth which results in the elimination of infection and protection of the decontaminated tooth from future microbial invasion...
    
     or extraction of the tooth.
  • A special condition is barodontalgia
    Barodontalgia
    Barodontalgia, commonly known as tooth squeeze and previously known as aerodontalgia, is a pain in tooth caused by a change in atmospheric pressure...
    
    , a dental pain evoked upon changes in barometric pressure, in otherwise asymptomatic but diseased teeth.
  • Periodontitis
  • Wisdom teeth
  • Cracked tooth
  • Dry socket, which is a condition arising after having one or more teeth extracted (especially mandibular wisdom teeth).
  • Some causes of toothache are the more obvious culprits such as a cracked tooth, filling or veneer, dental caries from eating acidic, sweet foods that corrode the fillings and the tooth’s protective enamel layer. This corrosion is caused from the bacteria that are present on the teeth which break down the sugars in refined foods and then excrete them in the form of acids, which then eat away at the protective enamel of the tooth, causing a cavity, infection and eventually toothache.

• Non-dental etiology
  • Trigeminal neuralgia
    Trigeminal neuralgia
    Trigeminal neuralgia , tic douloureux is a neuropathic disorder characterized by episodes of intense pain in the face, originating from the trigeminal nerve. It has been described as among the most painful conditions known...
    
    
  • Cytotoxic chemotherapy
    Chemotherapy
    Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
    
    -induced neuropathy
  • Atypical odontalgia is a form of toothache present in apparently normal teeth. This is the intra-oral
    Mouth
    The mouth is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food andsaliva. The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane epithelium lining the inside of the mouth....
    
     equivalent of atypical facial pain
    Atypical facial pain
    Atypical Facial Pain has historically been regarded as a pathological condition, including a wide group of facial pain problems. Generally, this pain is neuropathic in presentation, consisting of burning, superficial or deep-aching, stabbing pain. AFP may also be described as poorly localized,...
    
    . The pain, generally dull, often moves from one tooth to another for a period of 4 months to several years. The cause of atypical odontalgia is not yet clear, although some form of nerve deafferentation is plausible.
  • Referred pain
    Referred pain
    Referred pain is pain perceived at a location other than the site of the painful stimulus. An example is the case of ischemia brought on by a myocardial infarction , where pain is often felt in the neck, shoulders, and back rather than in the chest, the site of the injury...
    
     of angina pectoris or a myocardial infarction
    Myocardial infarction
    Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
    
    .

Severity

The severity of a toothache can range from a mild discomfort to excruciating pain, which can be experienced either chronic

Chronic

Chronic may refer to:* Chronic , a disease that is long-lasting and reoccurring.* Chronic toxicity, a substance with toxic effects after continuous or repeated exposure* The Chronic, a 1992 album by Dr. Dre...

ally or sporadically. This pain can often be aggravated somewhat by chewing or by hot or cold temperature

Temperature

Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...

. An oral examination complete with X-ray

X-ray

X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...

s can help discover the cause. Severe pain may be considered a dental emergency

Dental emergency

A dental emergency is a type of medical emergency involving the teeth or gingiva. Pain involving these parts of the mouth, even when minor, can indicate a severe underlying problem that could worsen with time. It is important to contact a dentist as soon as possible for a professional evaluation...

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See also

• Barodontalgia
  Barodontalgia
  Barodontalgia, commonly known as tooth squeeze and previously known as aerodontalgia, is a pain in tooth caused by a change in atmospheric pressure...
  
  
• Dental caries
  Dental caries
  Dental caries, also known as tooth decay or a cavity, is an irreversible infection usually bacterial in origin that causes demineralization of the hard tissues and destruction of the organic matter of the tooth, usually by production of acid by hydrolysis of the food debris accumulated on the...
  
  
• Gum disease
• Tooth abscess
  Tooth abscess
  A tooth abscess or root abscess is pus enclosed in the tissues of the jaw bone at the apex of an infected tooth's root. Usually the abscess originates from a bacterial infection that has accumulated in the soft, often dead, pulp of the tooth. This can be caused by untreated tooth decay, cracked...
  
   

• Temporomandibular disease
• Wisdom teeth
  Third molar
  A wisdom tooth, in humans, is any of the usually four third molars. Wisdom teeth usually appear between the ages of 17 and 25. Most adults have four wisdom teeth, but it is possible to have fewer , or more, in which case they are called supernumerary teeth...
  
  
• Endodontic therapy
  Endodontic therapy
  Endodontic therapy is a sequence of treatment for the pulp of a tooth which results in the elimination of infection and protection of the decontaminated tooth from future microbial invasion...
  
  
• Tooth extraction