Toothache (Tooth Pain): Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
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- Toothache (Tooth Pain): Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
What Causes Toothache?
How Does Toothache Occur?
Toothache occurs from inflammation of the central portion of the tooth called the dental pulp. The pulp is made up of sensitive nerves and blood vessels.

Why Does My Toothache?
What Are The Causes Of Toothache?
There are many reasons for a toothache. First of all, it is very important to determine the cause of the pain. To correctly diagnose the source of the pain, your oral examination will be performed and your x-ray will be taken at Ekiz Clinic Istanbul.
Dental Pulp Can Become Inflamed As A Result Of:
- Tooth decay – Tooth decay is the primary cause of toothaches for most children and adults. Acids produced by the bacteria in plaque can eat through the enamel, creating a cavity.
- Loose, broken fillings, or a cracked tooth- Gaps in the tooth cause microleakage.
- Receding gums – where the gums shrink (contract) to expose softer, more sensitive parts of the tooth root
- Periapical abscess – A periapical abscess is a collection of pus at the root of a tooth, usually caused by an infection that has spread from a tooth to the surrounding tissues.
Although The Pulp Is Not Affected, Other Conditions Can Cause Pain Similar To A Toothache. These Include:
- Periodontal Abscess – Periodontal abscesses may be focal or diffuse and manifest as red, fluctuant swelling of the gingiva, which is extremely tender to palpation caused by a bacterial infection.
- Ulcers on your gums -Mouth ulcers are small sores or lesions that occur on your gums, lips, tongue inner cheeks, or palate sore or swollen gums around a tooth that’s breaking through – for example, when your wisdom teeth start to come through
- Sinusitis – Sinusitis is swelling of the sinuses, usually caused by an infection. sometimes causes pain around the upper jaw.
- An injury to the temporomandibular joint-the temporomandibular joint connecting your jawbone to your skull.

Is Tooth Tissue Alive? What Is Dental Pulp?
The tooth consists of 3 layers of tissue.
There is enamel in the outer layer and dentin in the middle layer.
In the innermost layer is the live pulp, which provides feed to the tooth. Pulp tissue contains veins and nerves. Thus, it is affected by external stimuli such as cold and heat. The task of the enamel and dentin layer is to protect the live pulp. If enamel and dentin wear out for various reasons, the living pulp is damaged.
What Is Toothache Treatment In Turkey?
At the Ekiz Clinic, fillings, pulling teeth, or other procedures may be performed as required. If your toothache is caused by tooth decay, your dentist will remove the decayed area and replace it with a filling.
If your toothache is caused by a loose or broken filling, the filling will be taken out, any decay will be removed, and a new filling put in place.
If the pulp inside your tooth is infected, you may need root canal treatment. Root canal treatment is done to eliminate bacteria from the infected root canal and prevent re-infection of the tooth.
The inflamed and infected pulp is removed, and the inside of the tooth is carefully disinfected, filled, and sealed at Ekiz Dental Clinic by your specialist endodontist. If you have gum disease, your specialist dentist at Ekiz Clinic will recommend regular brushing and will remove any plaque.
If your toothache is caused by a periodontal abscess, your dentist will give you antibiotics to stop the infection or may need to cut open (lance) the abscess so that the infection can drain.
Your tooth may need to be removed if the toothache can’t be treated using these methods or the tooth is wedged between another tooth and your jaw (impacted).
If causes other than the teeth or jaw are responsible for the pain, management will depend on the condition.

Frequently Asked Questions
Taking care of your mouth helps prevent toothache and swelling. As well as brushing and flossing regularly:
- eat a healthy balanced diet
- avoid sugary and fatty foods
- drink water containing fluoride
- avoid smoking
See your doctor at Ekiz Dental Clinic if you have:
- a fever (a temperature over 38⁰C)
- trouble breathing or swallowing
- an infection (your mouth is red, swollen, painful and there’s a bad-tasting discharge)
Pain in teeth if it becomes severe enough, can “travel”. The pain extends along the nerve that supplies it, away from the area where the tooth originated from the pain. Usually, if a lower tooth becomes inflamed, it is felt that the pain is going to the ear. Pain in the upper teeth can travel to the sides of the face. However, if the intensifies then the pain is felt in the opposite jaw.
As the upper teeth roots are close to the sinuses, an inflamed sinus can refer pain to the upper back teeth. Occasional very inflamed ulcers can be often mistaken for toothache. This pain is defined as “referred pain”.
It is carefully examined at Ekiz Clinic to find the location of the real pain. The history of problems in the tooth is checked. X-rays are taken to find problems. The teeth are tapped to try and reproduce the pain. Hot-cold tests are applied. A nil response means the tooth is dead. After anesthesia, the treatment of the tooth is started. At Ekiz Clinic Istanbul, our specialist dentists will localize the site of your pain correctly and perform your treatment.
Toothaches can be prevented with regular dental care. Here’s what needs to be done to prevent toothache:
A healthy diet. The bacteria that cause caries feed on sugar.
Regular tooth brushing. You can have healthy teeth and gums by brushing your teeth 2 times a day. At the same time, don’t forget to floss every night.
The fluoride in toothpaste prevents tooth decay. At the same time, fluoride tablets may be prescribed.
At Ekiz Clinic, have professional cleaning 2 times a year. This prevents both decay and gum disease.
Smoking worsens dental diseases. Stop smoking.
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