What to Do When You Have a Toothache
What different kinds of tooth pain usually mean, what really helps in the meantime, and when you should be seen today.
A toothache is a symptom, not a diagnosis, and the way the pain feels can tell you a lot about what is behind it. This page covers the most common patterns and what to do until you can be seen. It cannot replace an exam, because no amount of reading can tell which tooth is the problem or how far it has gone.
Sharp Pain With Cold That Stops Quickly
A quick, sharp twinge from something cold that fades within a second or two is usually sensitivity rather than damage. It happens when the layer under the enamel is exposed, often from gum recession, enamel worn down by grinding or hard brushing, or a small spot of early decay.
A toothpaste for sensitive teeth, used every day for a few weeks, helps in many cases. If it does not, or if only one tooth is sensitive, have it checked, since a single sensitive tooth is more likely to have a specific cause.
Pain That Lingers After Hot or Cold
This is the one to take seriously. If hot coffee or a cold drink causes pain that keeps going for thirty seconds or several minutes after you stop, the pulp inside the tooth is likely inflamed, not just exposed.
That kind of inflammation usually does not settle down by itself. It often means the tooth needs root canal treatment, and getting it treated sooner tends to be more comfortable and gives the tooth a better chance.
Deep Throbbing That Keeps You Up
Steady throbbing that gets worse when you lie down often means the pulp is infected and pressure is building inside the tooth with nowhere to go.
Propping your head up can help by easing that pressure, and an over-the-counter pain reliever taken as directed can help too. Neither one fixes the problem. This is the pattern most likely to turn into an abscess if it is left alone, so call (913) 780-0011.
Sharp Pain When You Bite Down or Let Go
Pain when you bite usually has one of two causes, and they call for different fixes.
If it started after recent dental work, the new filling or crown may be sitting just a little high, so that one tooth takes the full force of your bite. That is usually a quick adjustment, and there is no reason to put up with it.
If you have not had recent work, and especially if the pain hits as you release your bite, a cracked tooth is a likely cause. Cracks often do not show up on X-rays and can be missed unless someone is looking for them. If the crack is caught while it is still above the gum, a crown can often save the tooth. Once it runs into the root, the tooth usually cannot be saved, so it pays to act early.
Dull Ache With Pressure Around the Sinuses
If several upper back teeth ache at once, the pain changes when you bend over, and you have a cold or allergies, the cause is often sinus pressure rather than your teeth. The roots of the upper molars sit close to the sinuses.
This usually eases as the congestion clears. If it does not, or if it is one tooth instead of several, have it checked.
Swelling in the Face or Gum
Swelling means an infection may have spread beyond the tooth. A small bump on the gum next to a tooth can be an abscess draining, and the pain often eases when that happens because the pressure has found a way out. Feeling better in that case does not mean it has healed.
Facial swelling needs to be seen urgently. If it is spreading toward your eye or under your jaw, or you have a fever or trouble swallowing or breathing, go to the emergency room or call 911. Do not wait on that.
What Helps Until You Are Seen
Take an over-the-counter pain reliever as the label directs. Rinse with warm salt water. Use a cold compress on the outside of your face, not on the tooth. Sleep with your head raised. Skip very hot, very cold and very sweet foods, and chew on the other side.
Do not put aspirin on the gum, do not poke at the area with anything sharp, and do not put heat on a swollen face, because warmth can help an infection spread.
Call (913) 780-0011 and tell us how it feels. That helps us know how soon to see you.
Get the Tooth Checked
Describe the pain when you call, and our front desk team will help figure out how soon you need to be seen.