Did you know that chronic tooth pain can alter the way one talks? And not only that, it can change one’s demeanor and personality with time. For example, an individual with an exuberant nature can become withdrawn and cranky if they are dealing with consistent tooth pain.
But tooth pain doesn’t just happen. It’s a culmination of a number of things. Some causes of toothaches are common like a dental cavity or trauma to the jaw. Here are the four main conditions that lead to tooth pain.
An abscess
An abscessed tooth can be excruciatingly painful. This is an infection within the tooth that has found its way to the roots of the tooth. The infection causes the roots of the tooth to be inflamed resulting in swelling and pain. This condition is characterized by a lesion in the gum that is filled with pus. The bacteria causing the infection to enter the dental pulp through a crack or chip in the tooth. An abscessed tooth can be remedied through a root canal.
Drug abuse
Drug addicts tend to have bad teeth because of their drug use. Methamphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy and even marijuana that is now legal in some states contribute to dry mouth which leads to tooth decay and dental cavities. Ultimately, drug addicts have toothaches as a result of their addiction.
Also, these drugs cause one to clench their teeth or grind their teeth against each other making the jaw and teeth susceptible to pain and weak with time. Unfortunately, some prescription medication for conditions like medication for blood pressure can also cause dry mouth contributing to dental cavities. Also, chemotherapy can have the same effect.
Trauma
Injury or trauma to the mouth or jaw can result in the loosening of teeth. Loose teeth are painful to touch and because the mouth is constantly active they can be constantly brushed against causing the pain to be continuous.
Damaged filling
If the filing in a tooth comes off or cracks exposing the dental pulp one becomes prone to toothaches as cold and hot substances enter the cavity and irritate the pulp. The solution is to refill the cavity and hide the exposed nerve endings in the tooth and this can be done by the dentist in a series of visit depending on the scale of damage to the filling. In most cases, the dentist needs to do the refilling all over again including cleaning the tooth to ensure that food particles do not get trapped inside.
