Dental question about taxonomy:symptom:tooth-pain
Toothache is a symptom, not a diagnosis, and its treatment depends on whether the source is decay, pulp, gum, crack, or trauma.
The short answer
Toothache is a symptom, not a diagnosis, and its treatment depends on whether the source is decay, pulp, gum, crack, or trauma. Diagnosis may require inspection, probing, vitality testing, tapping, bite testing, and a radiograph.
What is the direct answer?
What does this question mean?
Pain from the pulp is often deep or spontaneous, while exposed dentine can react briefly to cold or sweets. Pain on chewing can involve the ligament around a tooth, a crack, or infection near the root, but symptoms overlap.
What can you do next?
Keep brushing gently, rinse with lukewarm water, avoid the trigger, and use a labelled pain reliever only if it fits your medical history. Do not heat a swollen area or place a tablet against the gum, because this can injure oral tissue.
When should you seek dental care?
Arrange an appointment when pain lasts, recurs, wakes you, or changes with biting or temperature. Swelling, fever, pus, injury, persistent bleeding, or difficulty breathing or swallowing needs urgent assessment.
What should you ask the dentist?
Ask whether the pulp, periodontal ligament, gum, or neighbouring structure is responsible. Ask which treatment preserves the tooth, whether a filling or root canal is appropriate, and how the diagnosis will be confirmed.
Frequently asked questions
What if the painful tooth is not obvious?
Referred pain can make a neighbouring tooth feel responsible, so the dentist may test several teeth and nearby tissues.
Does pain always mean an infection?
No. Decay, exposed dentine, a crack, gum inflammation, bite trauma, and pulp inflammation can also cause pain.