Ouch! My Tooth Hurts

When eating or drinking hot or cold foods do you feel a sharp pain in your tooth?  You probably think you it must be a cavity. It could also mean you have sensitive teeth.  Your teeth can become sensitive either from receding gums or from a thinning of your tooth enamel.

Some toothaches are more severe

If the pain you are experiencing is a sharp, stabbing pain when you bite down on your food, the cause of your toothache could be a cavity or a cracked tooth.

Symptom and signs of an an abscessed tooth or an infection include:

• Severe, persistent, throbbing toothache that can radiate to the jawbone, neck or ear
• Sensitivity to the pressure of chewing or biting
• Fever
• Swelling in your face or cheek
• Tender, swollen lymph nodes under your jaw or in your neck
• Sudden rush of foul-smelling and foul-tasting, salty fluid in your mouth and pain relief if the abscess ruptures

A tooth abscess won’t go away without treatment. If the abscess ruptures, the pain may decrease significantly — but you still need dental treatment. If the abscess doesn’t drain, the infection may spread to your jaw and to other areas of your head and neck.

Don’t wait, call Yahara Dental if you have any pain or sensitivity and especially if you have signs or symptoms of a tooth abscess.