Tooth Pain
If you’re experiencing tooth pain, whether sharp and throbbing or dull and achy, it can be difficult to bite and chew, concentrate, get through the day, even sleep at night, no matter what over-the-counter medication you take for some relief.
Symptom: Lingering pain, typically lasting more than 30 seconds, after eating hot or cold foods.
Possible problem: It’s likely that the pulp has been irreversibly damaged by deep decay or physical trauma.
What to do: See your dentist or endodontist as soon as possible to save the tooth with root canal treatment.
Symptom: Constant and severe pain and pressure, swelling of gum and sensitivity to touch.
Possible problem: A tooth may be abscessed, causing an infection in the surrounding tissue and bone.
What to do: See your endodontist for evaluation and treatment to relieve the pain and save the tooth. Take over-the-counter medications until you see the endodontist.
Symptom: Sensitivity to hot or cold foods after dental treatment.
Possible problem: It’s possible that recent dental work has inflamed the pulp inside the tooth, causing this temporary symptom.
What to do: Wait two to four weeks and if the pain persists or worsens, have your dentist or endodontist check for a more serious problem.
