Anyone who’s ever had tooth pain knows the quicker it can be relieved, the better. Pain is never normal and can indicate a problem in your mouth that needs to be addressed. If your teeth are bothering you, it is always a good idea to see your dentist as soon as possible.
Drs. Levesque and Dr Vogel of Levesque Dentistry in Nashua NH can do a thorough examination and answer the important question you may have, Why do my teeth hurt? It could be a number of reasons, but these are a few of the most common:
Cavity: A cavity is simply a hole in your tooth due to the degradation of enamel by bacteria. Cavities can create sensitivity, which results in tooth pain. If a cavity is treated when it is small, the tooth can probably be saved, usually with a filling made of metal or a composite resin.
Damaged or Lost Filling: Sometimes a dental filling may fall out or be damaged. This re-exposes the cavity, which may cause issues with your bite, leading to pain. A visit to your Levesque Dentistry dentist can determine what needs to be done to eliminate the pain.
Teeth Grinding/Clenching/TMJ: Some people bear down on their teeth during the day or wake up with a sore jaw in the morning. Both of these are signs that they may be clenching or grinding their teeth at night. Your Levesque Dentistry dentist can offer solutions to help save teeth from excess wear and tear, as well as painful headaches, toothaches, and jaw pain.
Abscessed Tooth: An infection at the root of the tooth can cause an abscess. Abscesses are extremely painful and only antibiotics can treat them successfully. Failure to treat an abscess can lead to the spread of the infection to other parts of your body, causing an oral health issue to become a system (entire body) threat.
Wisdom Teeth Impaction: When your wisdom teeth begin to emerge, there can be a great deal of pain, swelling, and jaw stiffness, especially if they become impacted. Impaction happens when the wisdom teeth grow in without enough room on your jaw, leading them to “bump into” other teeth. An examination from your Levesque Dentistry dentist can determine if the teeth are coming in properly or if they should be removed.
Injury: Injuries caused by such things as accidents or contact sports can manifest in any number of painful ways, including a “bruised” or deep discoloring of the tooth, a chipped or broken tooth, or total loss of one or more teeth.
Temperature Sensitivity: When the dentin of your tooth, the underlying layer, is exposed due to cracks in the enamel or the recession of the gums, your teeth may become sensitive to hot, cold or both.
Orthodontic Treatment: Some discomfort or pain due to the adjustment of braces is completely normal. Use of an over-the-counter pain medicine, or if the issue is caused by the hardware itself, a little ball of dental wax should help alleviate the pain.
Teeth Whitening: Although teeth whitening can bring on sensitivity or pain in many people, but the effects should go away quickly. Consult with your Levesque Dentistry dentist if it becomes too painful or problematic.
No matter what the reason, tooth pain can be miserable, so stop asking, “Why do my teeth hurt?” and schedule an appointment online with Drs. Keith Levesque or Dr. Tara Vogel of Nashua NH today. Call 757.414.7227 to schedule by phone.