Suffering from Dental Pain? What Your Mouth Could Be Telling You

Other than childbirth, nothing is quite as painful as dental pain. Not only can dental pain interrupt daily tasks like chewing food or even sleeping, but it can also cause your entire mouth to throb throughout the day. From dull achy pain to sharp shooting pain, what is your dental pain really telling you about your oral health? Read on to learn more.

Dull, Achy Pain
This type of pain is likely associated with something such as bruxism (tooth grinding) which typically happens during the night. If you notice that your jaw and teeth in particular are suffering from dry, achy pain try to apply a small heat pack to the targeted area. If you notice that the pain arises more in the morning than at night, then you might be grinding your teeth during your sleep. To help assure that is the root of the problem, try wearing a mouth guard at night in order to prevent yourself from nasty tooth grinding. If the pain still persists, it’s time to schedule an appointment with your dentist.

Strong, Shooting Pain
If you suddenly experience strong shooting pain when you bite into something then you likely have a cavity or some other type of oral infection. Cavities erode away at your tooth and can expose your nerve, causing that shooting pain to wake you up at virtually any time of the day or night. If the pain is targeted to one area and doesn’t subside after a day or two, then it’s time to make an appointment with your dentist in order to see if you have a cavity that needs to be tended to.

Sensitivity to Hot and Cold
Did you bite into an ice cream cone or sip on a cup of coffee only to get a shooting pain in your mouth? Are you experiencing extreme sensitivity to hot and cold? Once the enamel of your teeth has worn down and the dentin is exposed, so are the nerves of your teeth, which will cause you to experience this kind of tooth sensitivity. Before seeing your dentist, try using a toothpaste like Sensodyne for a few days. Sensodyne works to numb the dental nerves and give you back the comfort you need in order to properly function.