Toothaches
Toothaches is available at these locations:
When a tooth hurts, your body is signaling that something needs attention. The pain might arrive sharp and sudden or settle in as a dull, constant ache, and either way it can upend everything from eating and sleeping to daily life. At Aesthetic Dentistry, we move quickly to evaluate the problem, track down the cause, and treat it for lasting relief.
What it is
Pain stemming from decay, infection, a fracture, gum disease, or other damage to the tooth or the tissues around it. It can range from mild sensitivity to severe, throbbing discomfort.
Who it's for
Anyone dealing with tooth pain that persists or worsens, sensitivity to temperature, pain when chewing, or swelling near a tooth.
How we help
Same-day emergency evaluation, digital imaging to pinpoint the cause, and treatments ranging from fillings to root canals that eliminate the pain at its root.
Tooth pain often worsens the longer you wait. Call us now for same-day emergency evaluation.
What Causes Toothaches?
A toothache can start with any injury or damage, whether to the tooth itself or to the tissues around it. The pain may be mild and on-and-off or severe and unrelenting. Either way, finding the cause is the first step toward effective treatment.
Common Causes
- Cavities: Decay that has worked its way into the sensitive inner layers of the tooth
- Cracked or chipped teeth: Fractures that lay the nerve bare or let bacteria slip inside
- Dental abscess: A bacterial infection at the root tip or down in the gums
- Exposed tooth roots: Gum recession that leaves the roots unprotected
- Bruxism: Grinding that wears down enamel and strains the jaw
- Wisdom teeth: Impacted wisdom teeth pushing on their neighbors
Types of Tooth Pain
- Sharp, stabbing pain: Often the mark of a crack, an exposed nerve, or an acute cavity
- Dull, constant ache: Can point to an abscess or a chronic infection
- Throbbing pain: Commonly tied to infection or inflammation of the pulp
- Sensitivity to hot/cold: May flag decay, a cracked filling, or early nerve damage
- Pain when biting: Often hints at a cracked tooth or a high filling
- Radiating pain to the ear or jaw: Can be tooth-related or linked to TMD
When to call us: Tooth pain that's severe or getting worse, swelling in the face or gums, pain that comes with a fever, or a tooth knocked out or broken in an injury.
Seek emergency care for facial swelling that interferes with your breathing or ability to swallow, or a high fever paired with severe pain.
How We Treat Toothaches
Treatment Options
- Fillings: For cavities and minor decay behind the sensitivity
- Root canal therapy: Once infection reaches the tooth's nerve (pulp)
- Crowns: To rebuild and protect cracked or badly damaged teeth
- Extraction: When a tooth is beyond saving
- Antibiotics: To bring infection under control before or alongside dental treatment
- Bite adjustment: To ease pain from a high filling or an uneven bite
At-Home Relief (While Waiting)
- Take over-the-counter pain relievers (ibuprofen or acetaminophen) as directed
- Rinse with warm salt water a few times a day
- Hold a cold compress against the outside of your cheek for 15–20 minutes
- Steer clear of very hot, very cold, or sugary foods and drinks
- Prop your head up when you lie down
- Remember these steps are temporary, so see a dentist as soon as possible
How to Prevent Toothaches
- Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and floss every night
- Keep up dental checkups and cleanings every six months
- Wear a mouthguard for sports and a night guard if you grind your teeth
- Go easy on sugary and acidic foods that weaken enamel
- Have your wisdom teeth evaluated as recommended
- Don't brush off early sensitivity, since small problems are the easiest to treat
Tooth pain rarely clears up on its own. The sooner you call, the simpler the treatment.
What to Expect at Your Visit
Visit Steps
- Symptom review: our doctors ask where the pain is, how long it's lasted, and what it feels like
- Clinical exam: A visual inspection plus percussion and temperature tests to single out the problem tooth
- Imaging: Digital X-rays that bring decay, infection, fractures, or other hidden trouble to light
- Diagnosis: our doctors explain what's causing the pain and lay out a treatment plan
- Treatment: Many toothache causes can be handled the same day, so there's no need to suffer longer than necessary
Helpful Tips
- If this is your first evaluation, skip ibuprofen in the 4–6 hours beforehand, since it may mask symptoms
- Jot down when the pain began, what sets it off, and what eases it
- Bring a list of any medications you're taking
- If the tooth was knocked out or broken, bring the fragment in milk or saliva
- We hold emergency time slots open for urgent pain cases, so call us first
Frequently Asked Questions
Some tooth pain can wait a day or two for a regular appointment, but certain signs mean a toothache should be seen the same day. Seek prompt care if you have:
- Severe or worsening pain that does not respond to over-the-counter medication.
- Visible swelling in the face, jaw, or gums, or a fever.
- A broken or knocked-out tooth, or pus draining near a tooth.
Each of these points to infection or trauma that tends to get worse, not better, with time. When in doubt, call us and describe what you are feeling; we hold emergency slots open for urgent toothache cases and can help you decide how quickly you need to be seen.
A toothache may ease for a while, but a quiet tooth is not the same as a healed one. Most toothaches come from a cause that does not resolve on its own, such as a cavity, a crack, or an infection, and that underlying problem keeps progressing even when the pain comes and goes.
In fact, if a severely painful tooth suddenly stops hurting, it can be a warning sign rather than good news: it may mean the nerve inside has died. The infection is usually still present and can spread into the surrounding bone, so the calm is deceptive. The takeaway is simple: always have a persistent or recurring toothache evaluated, even if it feels better by the time you reach us.
Time matters more than almost anything else here, so act quickly. Handle the tooth by the crown, never the root, and rinse it gently with water if it is dirty, taking care not to scrub it. If you can, slip it back into its socket and bite softly on clean gauze to hold it there; if that is not possible, keep it in a cup of milk or tucked inside your cheek, since saliva works too.
Then get to our office or an emergency room within 30–60 minutes for the best chance of saving the tooth. A knocked-out tooth, much like a sudden severe toothache, is a true dental emergency, so call us on the way and we will be ready for you. The sooner the tooth is back in place, the better the odds it reattaches.
It is a common complaint, and there is a real reason behind it. When you lie down, more blood flows to your head, and that added pressure against the inflamed nerve inside a tooth can make a toothache throb harder at night than it did during the day. Lying flat also removes the natural drainage that gravity provides while you are upright.
There is also simply less to distract you once the house is quiet, so the pain feels more intense. To get through the night, try propping your head up with an extra pillow, take pain medication before bed if you need it, and avoid very hot, cold, or sugary foods late in the evening. These steps can take the edge off, but a toothache that keeps you up still needs to be evaluated, since it points to a problem that will not settle on its own.
Yes. Sinus pressure and infection can cause referred pain in the upper back teeth, because the roots of those teeth sit very close to the floor of the sinuses. When the sinuses become inflamed, that pressure presses on the nearby nerves and can feel exactly like a toothache, often across several upper teeth at once rather than in a single spot.
A few clues point toward a sinus source: the discomfort tends to affect multiple upper teeth, worsens when you bend over or lie down, and shows up alongside congestion or facial pressure. Still, the only way to be sure is an exam. If you have sinus symptoms along with upper tooth pain, our doctors can help determine whether the cause is dental or sinus-related and point you toward the right treatment.
The cost of treating a toothache depends entirely on what is causing it, since the pain is a symptom rather than a single procedure. A small cavity treated with a simple filling is much less expensive than a problem that has reached the nerve and needs a root canal, or a tooth that is beyond saving and requires an extraction. That is also why coming in early often costs less: small problems are simpler and cheaper to fix.
Once we have pinpointed the source of your toothache, we provide a clear cost estimate before starting treatment, and we work with most insurance plans. For any portion not covered, see our financing options for flexible payment plans, so getting out of pain does not have to wait.
Life is too short to live with tooth pain. Call us today and let's get to the bottom of it.