Really bad toothache
Severe toothache can arise from decay, pulp inflammation, a crack, gum infection, or an abscess and needs prompt dental assessment.
The short answer
A severe toothache may mean that decay, a crack, exposed dentine, inflamed pulp, or infection is affecting the tooth, and pain relief alone does not remove the cause.
What is the direct answer?
What does this question mean?
The pulp is the living tissue containing nerves and blood vessels inside the tooth. Bacteria entering through decay or a crack can inflame the pulp, while infection may spread through the root tip into surrounding bone and gum.
What can you do next?
Rinse gently, remove trapped food, use a cold compress on the cheek, and take only pain medicine that is suitable for you according to its label or a pharmacist. Do not heat the area, place chemicals on the tooth, or delay care because pain temporarily stops.
When should you seek dental care?
Contact a dentist promptly for intense, persistent, or night pain, pain on biting, swelling, fever, or a bad taste. Facial swelling, trouble swallowing, or breathing difficulty requires emergency medical care.
What should you ask the dentist?
Ask whether the pulp is inflamed or infected and whether the tooth can be restored. Ask about examination tests, radiographs, drainage, a filling, root canal treatment, or extraction.
Frequently asked questions
Why can a tooth hurt when I bite?
Biting pain can occur when the ligament around a tooth is inflamed, or when a crack or root-area infection changes how the tooth bears pressure.
Can an abscess disappear by itself?
The pain may change if pressure drains, but the source of infection can remain and needs dental treatment.