A toothache is a pain in or around a tooth. The pain may be sharp, throbbing, or constant. In some people, this pain results only when pressure is applied to the tooth.

The major causes of toothache include:

• dental caries/tooth decay
• abscessed tooth
• tooth fracture
• a damaged filling
• infected gums
• repetitive motions, such as chewing gum or grinding teeth

Besides tooth pain, persons with a toothache may experience; swelling around the tooth, fever or headache, and foul-tasting drainage from the infected tooth.

Whenever toothache strikes, one may be unable to carry on with their normal life. Even more, failure to treat toothache can lead to tooth loss or even more complicated dental issues that could be more costly.

Depending on the toothache cause, we can treat it through Root Canal Treatment or Dental Extraction

Root Canal Treatment

Root canal treatment is needed when dental X-rays show that the pulp has been damaged by a bacterial infection. The pulp may become inflamed if it is infected by bacteria, allowing the bacteria to multiply and spread.

The symptoms of a pulp infection include:

• pain when eating or drinking hot or cold food and drink
• pain when biting or chewing
• a loose tooth

Please note these symptoms may disappear as the infection progresses to a level where the pulp dies. For a moment, your tooth may appear to have healed, but that is not the case.

When the infection spreads through the root canal system, you eventually get further symptoms such as:

• pain when biting or chewing
• swelling of the gum near the affected tooth
• pus oozing from the affected tooth
• a swollen cheek or jaw
• the tooth becoming darker in colour

Extraction of Badly Damaged Teeth

Failure to treat dental caries on time can put your natural tooth in such a bad place that it becomes unredeemable. Although root canal treatment can restore a decayed tooth, a severely decayed tooth cannot be restored and as such, the removal of such a tooth becomes inevitable.

Extraction of Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth can erupt badly, a condition known as impacted wisdom teeth. Impacted wisdom teeth happen when your third molars become partially or fully trapped in your gums or jawbone.

Impacted wisdom teeth can cause dental problems. Often, food and bacteria get trapped around the edge of the wisdom teeth, causing a build-up of plaque, which can lead to:

• dental caries (tooth decay) 
• gum disease (gingivitis or periodontal disease)
• pericoronitis – when plaque causes an infection of the soft tissue that surrounds the tooth
• cellulitis – a bacterial infection in the cheek, tongue, or throat
• abscess – a collection of pus in your wisdom teeth or the surrounding tissue as a result of a bacterial infection
• cysts and benign growths –although rare, a wisdom tooth that hasn’t cut through the gum can develop a cyst (a fluid-filled swelling)

Visiting your dentist at least once after six months does not only put you safe from cavities but can help spot any emerging cavities/dental caries for early and less costly treatment.