Nothing keeps your mood down and sour than a sharp, throbbing pain in your mouth as you try to engage in your daily activities like eating, talking, brushing, or just going through your day.
Sometimes, this ache might be a dull pain that refuses to go away, leaving you in a state of malaise. Any sensation that causes discomfort to your teeth and the rest of your mouth is referred to as tooth nerve pain.
Tooth Nerves
Embedded in the roots of the teeth, is the dental pulp which contains thousands of nerves, connective tissue, and blood vessels which supply nutrients to the teeth.
The only function played by the nerves of the teeth is the sensory function. Occasionally when these nerves get irritated or infected, it may predispose an individual to tooth nerve pain and infection.
Tooth Sensitivity
Chewing can heighten sensitivity and discomfort when the dentin in the teeth is exposed which can also cause gum pain. The dentin is a yellow-brown colored mineral in the teeth, enriched with tubules that are directly linked to the never pulp.
Just above the gumline, is the enamel and just below the gumline is the cementum. These two structures which envelope the gumline are responsible for the protection of the dentin. When the protective layers that protect the teeth get worn out, particles can penetrate the tubules and migrate to the tooth nerves eliciting a response which is the stabbing pain known as “tooth nerve pain.”
This condition occurs as a result of pain and possible infection around the nerves of a tooth. Tooth nerves differ from the dentin, cementum, and enamel, in the sense that they are sensitive to external stimuli.
This is good news because they alert us when our teeth get inflamed; the bad news is that this alert most times comes with unbearable pains. This nerve pain can either be pulpal sensitivity or dentinal sensitivity.
Pulpal Sensitivity
This type of tooth nerve pain occurs with just one tooth. Damage to the pulp of the teeth causes bacteria to break down and multiply. Furthermore, the bacteria cells and other decomposing matter can then lead to an abscess in the affected area, infection, gum disease, and potentially even a dead tooth.
The pus-filled abscess usually forms at the root of the tooth. In most cases when this occurs, the problem might be as a result of an affected tooth pulp. The factors that can predispose an individual to this particular condition include:
Dental Sensitivity
When the pain in the dental area emerges from just one tooth, it is said that nerve pain is as a result of dental sensitivity. This is usually caused by damage of the enamel of the teeth or introduction by external stimuli like acid, cold or heat, which find their way to the nerve roots of the tooth’s dentin layer. The main causes of dental sensitivity are:
Symptoms
The major symptoms of tooth nerve pain include persistent, intense pain, swelling of gums, pressure, and sensitivity to stimuli. Difficulty in chewing and speaking can also be experienced.
Tooth Nerve Pain Relief
To alleviate every form of tooth nerve pain, there are some life modification habits that you must imbibe.
To ease your pain, you can go for an over-the-counter (OTC) medication like Tylenol or Ibuprofen. It is advisable to avoid medications like aspirin which can limit the rate at which blood clots.
Professional Treatment
If all other methods of reducing the pain fail, it may be time you visit your dentist for some professional advice and treatment. The dentist will conduct an assessment on the infected tooth and fix it if the situation can be salvaged.
In cases when permanent damage has occurred, extraction of the inflamed tooth will be the best option. The procedure of treating injuries to dental pulp is commonly known as endodontic treatment.
Prevention Is Better Than Cure
After going through the pain of fixing a bad tooth, no one would ever want to relive that pain. This is why it is imperative to adopt certain habits that will help prevent such from reoccurring. Some habits to stop include:
Tooth nerve pain gets worse the more you wait. It is important to swing into full action the moment you notice that something is amiss. Visit your dentist immediately, otherwise, the pain will increase in more folds and your teeth will suffer from the repercussions.