Leaving toothache untreated may lead to inflammation and severe infection that can spread to the bloodstream.

This leads to other health problems, such as throat infection, sinus infection, and pericarditis.

Toothache causes pain in the teeth or the surrounding area. Toothache mostly results from tooth decay that injures pulp, wisdom teeth, cracked teeth, or gum disease. The pain will not go away on its own without treating the cause. Therefore, when toothache occurs, it is best to see a dentist to receive proper diagnosis and treatment.

Causes of toothache

• Tooth decay
• Wisdom teeth
• Cracked or broken teeth
• Dental abrasion that goes deep down to the pulp
• Gum disease
• Inflammation of tissue inside the pulp
• Inflammation of the innermost tissue of a tooth which causes pus
• Buildup of food particles in the space between teeth, which causes the surrounding gum to be inflamed, leading to a buildup of bacteria
• Toothache in kids as a tooth is growing
• Muscle pain in the jawbone area as a result of clenching teeth while sleeping
• Tooth injury

There are two types of toothache:

1. Temporary toothache that goes away on its own: This is mostly triggered by certain factors, such as eating cold or hot food, and chewing. The pain will go away on its own when getting rid of the triggers. This kind of toothache tends to cause sharp pain that may occur together with sensitivity of teeth. The disorder is mostly caused by tooth decay or tooth fracture that goes deep down to an inner layer of a tooth, cold or hot temperature, and chewing. These factors stimulate the nerves in the pulp more than usual, which may lead to toothache. It can be treated with dental rehabilitation together with a toothpaste that reduces tooth sensitivity.
2. Throbbing toothache: It can occur on its own without triggers, and mostly at night. Eating hot food will worsen the pain, but eating cold food or chewing may also trigger the symptom. This kind of pain will persist even if there is no longer the trigger. It may occur together with swelling of or pus in the gum near the aching tooth. Throbbing toothache is more severe than the first type of pain because the decay has already gone deep down to the pulp. That is why it needs to be treated with root canal treatment together with dental rehabilitation.

• Don’t ignore “toothache” – See a dentist right away

When toothache occurs, it is best to see a doctor to find the cause and have the disorder treated based on the symptoms and cause of the disease. If left untreated, the pain may grow worse and cause a swollen gum or oral cavity. This will make treatment harder and tooth extraction necessary.

• Take care of oral health to reduce chance of toothache

Toothache mostly results from tooth decay. That is why taking care of oral health is highly recommended to reduce the chance of developing toothache by brushing teeth correctly at least twice a day as well as regularly seeing a dentist to receive an oral health checkup.