When Your Mouth Hurts, Call Our Glendale Dental Office
If you have a toothache or discomfort in your mouth or jaw, it is important to have complete oral exam to determine the cause. The chart below may help you describe the pain and symptoms to us. This will in turn help us determine the cause and best solution for the problem.
| Sharp pain when you bite down | Tooth decay or a loose filling | A new restoration to restore the tooth |
| An infection inside the inner pulp layer of your tooth | You may need root canal therapy to remove the infected tissue | |
| A cracked tooth | Cracked teeth can often be saved by placing a crown to protect and strengthen | |
| Severe pain, pressure, or swelling in your mouth that does not go away | An abscess of a tooth root, in the gum tissue, or in the jaw bone | Call us for an emergency appointment and take over-the-counter pain meds until we see you. Root canal, extraction, gum treatment or other therapies may be needed. |
| A dull ache in upper teeth and jaw | A sinus headache or a sinus infection (upper back teeth are very close to the sinus | Your physician can treat if pain is from sinus. Antibiotics and over-the-counter sinus meds can reduce sinus pain. |
| Grinding or clenching your teeth (called bruxism) - can cause a dull ache in the upper jaw along with sensitive teeth and sore muscles | A night guard, bite adjustment, muscle relaxants or other therapies may be needed. | |
| An abscess of a tooth root, in the gum tissue or bone. | Root canal therapy, gum cleaning or other therapy | |
| Pain in your head, neck, or ear that does not go away | Damaged or infected nerve tissue in your teeth | Root canal therapy may be necessary to remove the infected tissue |
| Problems in your jaw joints or spasm of the muscles that move your jaw | Possible solutions could be a night guard or full time orthotic, muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatory medication | |
| Sensitivity to heat, cold, or sweets | Dental treatment (temporary tooth sensitivity is normal after any dental treatment as it can disturb the nerves within the tooth) | Will usually subside within several days. Over-the-counter meds are often helpful. Sometimes bite adjustment is needed. |
| Tooth bleaching (Some tooth sensitivity is normal after tooth bleaching) | Pain should subside after several days. Sensitive-teeth toothpaste or fluoride also is helpful. | |
| Gum recession | Tooth-colored filling to cover area, sensitive-teeth toothpaste or fluoride | |
| Loose or cracked filling | Replace with new restoration | |
| Cracked tooth | Can often be saved with an onlay or crown to protect tooth | |
| Lingering pain after eating something hot or cold | Deep decay or a fractured tooth | You may need a crown and or a root canal to save your tooth |
As always, if you are concerned about pain in your teeth or mouth, do not hesitate to contact our Glendale Dentist at Desert Smiles. After we diagnose the cause we will make recommendations for treatment. Keep in mind we will make that treatment as comfortable as possible, probably much more so than the pain you are feeling now. It certainly will help keep your mouth healthy in the long run.
