What is Toothache?

When you eat or drink something hot or cold and a short sharp pain from your teeth to jaw and face line erupts. This is what is toothache. This happens due to pulpits which an inflammation of the pulp of the tooth.

If pulpits is not treated well then the pulp dies and become infected. This may lead to formation of a dental abscess. The pain from this abscess occurs as a result of pressure on the teeth. This pain is throbbing and continuous.

The most common and widely spread source of toothache is tooth decay. As the bacteria growth progresses and invades the pulp, it activate pain receptors there (Pulp is the mass of blood vessels and nerves at the center of the tooth). That is why it hurts when you bite down or drink something cold and at times it just throbs for no apparent reason.

Another pain activator is a cracked tooth. it produces pain only when you bite in a certain way. The pain occurs because the pressure of biting opens the crack further.

It is some times deceptive that the nerves supplying the teeth give a wrong message to the brain. You may feel pain in a particular tooth but the problem may actually be in a different tooth - even one located in the opposite jaw.

Not only that but it can sometimes also be misleading as the pain in the jaw which may be caused by the inflammation of sinusitis can be confused with a dental problem. This type of toothache has nothing to do with any tooth problem.

Toothache can also be a symptom of underlying disease particularly of diabetes.

So this is what is toothache: painful and deceptive!

As a precaution whenever you have toothache, you should see your dentist as soon as possible. He is the one who can determine what is causing toothache.

Learn more about causes, symptoms, types, preventive methods and home remedies for toothache in the other related articles:

What is Toothache?

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