Dentistry | Causes of toothache

Do you know that feeling when you're craving for that one specific sweet and sugary food all through the week, and finally got the moment to savour its flavour? It's almost melting in your mouth slowly, letting the rush of saliva spread its taste to all your buds but snappp!

Argh! That toothache is such a pain in the - well, mouth.

But Why Does My Tooth Pain?

Toothache occurs when the innermost layer of the tooth (dental pulp) becomes inflamed. The pulp is made up of sensitive nerves and blood vessels.

Dental pulp can become inflamed as a result of:

•Tooth decay – this leads to holes (cavities) forming in the hard surface of the tooth 

•A racked tooth – the crack is often so small that it can't be seen with the naked eye

•Loose or broken fillings

•Receding gums – where the gums shrink (contract) to expose softer, more sensitive parts of the tooth root

•Periapical abscess – a collection of pus at the end of the tooth caused by a bacterial infection

There are a number of other conditions that can cause pain similar to toothache, even though the pulp isn't affected. These include:

•Periodontal abscess – a collection of pus in the gums caused by a bacterial infection

•Ulcers on your gums

•Sore or swollen gums around a tooth that's breaking through – for example, when your wisdom teeth start to come through 

•Sinusitis – which sometimes causes pain around the upper jaw

•An injury to the joint that attaches the jaw to the skull (temporomandibular joint)

•Babies can also experience discomfort when their teeth start to develop. This is known as Teething.

Here is when Dentistry wears the cape of a superhero and dives right in!

What is Dentistry? 🦷

Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is a branch of medicine that consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions of the oral cavity, commonly in the dentition but also the oral mucosa, and of adjacent and related structures and tissues, particularly in the maxillofacial (jaw and facial) area. 

Although primarily associated with teeth among the general public, the field of dentistry or dental medicine is not limited to teeth but includes other aspects of the craniofacial complex including the temporomandibular joint and other supporting, muscular, lymphatic, nervous, vascular, and anatomical structures.