Tooth won t stop hurting
Persistent tooth pain can come from decay, an inflamed pulp, a cracked tooth, gum disease, or pressure around an erupting tooth.
The short answer
Persistent tooth pain can come from decay, an inflamed pulp, a cracked tooth, gum disease, or pressure around an erupting tooth. Pain that continues needs diagnosis because painkillers can reduce symptoms without removing the dental cause.
What does the tooth pulp contain and why does it matter?
The pulp contains nerves and blood vessels inside the tooth. Deep decay, trauma, or a crack can inflame or infect it; pain may be spontaneous, triggered by heat or cold, worse on biting, or referred to another tooth.
How can you ease persistent tooth pain until review?
Rinse gently, keep the area clean, avoid very hot, cold, sweet, or hard foods, and chew on the opposite side. Use only pain medicine that suits your health history and follow the label; do not place aspirin or chemicals on the gum.
When does ongoing tooth pain need dental care?
Arrange prompt dental care for pain that persists, wakes you, or returns after medication. Seek urgent help for facial swelling, fever, pus, inability to open the mouth, or difficulty swallowing or breathing.
What tests and treatments might identify the painful tooth?
Ask which tooth is responsible, whether cold testing, percussion, bite testing, or an X-ray is needed, and whether treatment means a filling, root canal treatment, extraction, or gum care. Ask what warning signs require same-day help.
Frequently asked questions
Why does tooth pain sometimes stop and return?
Pulp inflammation can fluctuate, and a damaged or infected pulp may temporarily lose sensation while the disease continues.
Can antibiotics cure tooth pain?
Antibiotics do not remove decay or repair a tooth; a dentist decides whether they are appropriate when infection has spread or systemic symptoms are present.
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Who wrote this page
This library is published by Dental Nation, a licensed dental group practising in the United Arab Emirates. Pages are written and overseen by the same clinical team that treats patients in our clinics, and are held to a fixed editorial standard for safety and accuracy.
This page is patient education, not medical advice, and cannot replace an examination. Anything urgent — facial swelling, trauma, uncontrolled bleeding or severe pain — needs a dentist or emergency care now.