Toothaches - What Makes a Tooth Ache

Although the basic symptoms of a tooth ache may be pretty much the same regardless of the cause of the problem, there are many different things that can cause a tooth to ache. Whether the ache is a throbbing, pulsing type of pain or a sharp shooting pain like a jolt of electricity - or an intermittent combination of both kinds of hurting and suffering - toothaches are no fun. Any time a tooth begins to hurt, even if it is only a relatively mild discomfort felt only now and then or when eating or drinking certain kinds of food or beverages, it is signaling you that there is a dental issue needed immediate attention.

It seems that since a tooth is like a piece of bone, made of hard calcium and enamel that can be tough as stone that they would not even have the capacity to ache. But that is certainly not the case. The tooth is actually more like a sleeve or a cap that houses very tender pulp within it. This interior pulp surrounds a central nerve and small blood vessels. The pulp itself is comprised of soft tissue, and the blood vessels supply nutrients and minerals to the tooth to keep it supplied and healthy. Meanwhile the nerve is there to respond when necessary, and if an infection or injury happens the nerve will send signals in the form of discomfort or outright pain.

One way that the nerve can be triggered is if the outer surface or covering of the tooth becomes too thin, so that sensations can be felt through that dense and normally solid rocklike wall of the exterior tooth. The enamel that covers the outer tooth can be weakened, for example, by harsh chemicals like those found in some tooth whitening kits. The chemicals in these kits eat away at the surface to remove the dull stained layer. Until the tooth has time to readjust to this heightened sensitivity, teeth may hurt whenever they are exposed to extreme temperatures. Drinking hot soup or cold beverages, for example, could make the tooth ache. The enamel can also be thinned if you do not brush regularly or if you get a cavity in the tooth.

When cavities grow deep, they can puncture the hard outer tooth and then the inner pulp and nerve is exposed, which another common cause of painful toothaches. Similarly, if the gums are infected - perhaps from not flossing on a regular basis - this kind of infection can spread and cause swelling and inflammation around the nerve of the tooth - which will, in turn, cause excruciating toothache.

Should you have a sore tooth, contact your dentist. Explain what is going on and what kind of pain or ache you are feeling, and take prompt steps to remedy the situation with the expert help of your dentist. Toothaches are, above all, a warning system within the human body. Once the ache starts, it is telling you that there is a problem that deserves care. While a toothache may be nearly impossible to ignore, some people still postpone getting to the dentist to sort out the problem, and the longer you delay dental help the worse the situation will get. But respond immediately at the first signal of toothache and it is possible to save yourself lots of agony - and lots of money spent at the dentist office on additional procedures required by postponing treatment.