Tooth Nerve Pain Treatment in Queens, NY
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What Is Tooth Nerve Pain?
Tooth nerve pain comes from the pulp — the soft inner tissue that holds a tooth’s nerves and blood vessels. When the pulp gets irritated or swollen, dentists call this pulpitis. You may feel sharp pain from hot, cold, or sweet foods. Sometimes the pain starts on its own with no clear cause. The most important question is whether that swelling can be reversed.
Reversible vs. Irreversible Pulpitis
With reversible pulpitis, the sensitivity is brief. It fades within a few seconds after the hot, cold, or sweet trigger is gone. Treating the cause — a cavity or an exposed root — is usually enough to let the nerve calm down. With irreversible pulpitis, pain lasts well after the trigger is gone. It can even wake you up at night, and the tooth may hurt when you bite down. At that point the nerve tissue can’t heal on its own. A root canal — or sometimes an extraction — is the only way to fix it.
What Causes Tooth Nerve Pain
Anything that damages the enamel and dentin protecting the pulp can expose it to bacteria and temperature changes. Common causes include:
- Deep decay that reaches the pulp, often from a long-neglected cavity
- A cracked or broken tooth that lets bacteria and pressure reach the nerve
- Exposed dentin from receding gums, aggressive brushing, or worn enamel
- Trauma or injury to the tooth, even without a visible crack
- Tooth clenching or grinding, which stresses the tooth and its nerve over time
When It’s a Dental Emergency
Do you have nerve pain along with facial swelling, a fever, or a bad taste from drainage? The pulp may already be infected. That means you need emergency dental care right away, not just a routine appointment.
Source: MouthHealthy.org (American Dental Association), Root Canals
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Read More About Tooth Nerve Pain
Dental Layers
The outside of a tooth is called the enamel. It’s strong and hard, with no living cells. Once the enamel wears down, the next layer — called dentin — gets exposed. At that point, your tooth loses its protection. It becomes open to damage from bacteria and temperature changes.
The center of a tooth is the pulp. That’s where the nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue are. When those nerves become inflamed, you feel severe sensitivity and nerve pain.
What Does Tooth Nerve Pain Feel Like?
Nerve pain often starts as a sharp jolt triggered by something sweet, hot, or cold. As the swelling gets worse, it can turn into a lingering ache that outlasts the trigger by a minute or more, and eventually into a throbbing, pulse-like pain that gets worse when you lie down, since more blood flows toward your head. Do you want to know what a more general toothache might mean? That page covers the bigger picture — this one focuses only on pain coming from the nerve itself.
How Can I Get Tooth Nerve Pain Relief?
When pain first starts, you may get some relief with over-the-counter pain medicine, warm water rinses, or a cold compress held against your cheek. You should make an appointment with your Queens family dentist as soon as symptoms start, so he can examine your mouth and begin the right treatment.
Tooth sensitivity that comes and goes may signal a small cavity or early-stage gum disease. But once the pulp is damaged or exposed, your risk of needing a root canal goes up. Intense throbbing pain along with facial swelling can mean an infection that needs antibiotics — and you may still need a root canal once the infection clears.
According to MouthHealthy.org, the American Dental Association’s consumer oral health resource, an infected pulp left untreated can put you at risk of losing the tooth entirely. Bacteria can damage the bone that anchors it to your jaw — which is exactly why root canal treatment exists: to save the natural tooth instead of pulling it.
The Root Canal Process
A root canal saves the damaged tooth instead of pulling it. During the procedure, your family dentist removes the decay. This leaves an opening that gives access to the pulp so it can be removed. The chambers that held the pulp are then cleaned and flushed out.
Your tooth may need to stay open for a few days so it can drain. Your dentist may place medicine inside the canal and empty chamber. You’ll wear a temporary crown while this happens. Once the infection is gone, you can get a permanent crown.
Can I Prevent Tooth Nerve Pain?
You can help prevent tooth nerve pain by protecting your tooth enamel. Wear protection when you play sports or take other risks. Avoid acidic foods like citrus juice and sodas, or at least brush after eating them. Also, stop brushing your teeth too hard.
Brush twice a day and after eating with a soft-bristled brush. Floss every day. Keep your professional cleaning appointments — this helps prevent the causes of nerve tooth pain. And call CitiDental of Woodhaven when you need relief from tooth nerve pain.
718-865-8111