According to the IASP (International Association for the Study of Pain), “pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or described in terms of, actual or potential tissue damage”.

It is therefore a subjective phenomenon that can be felt differently by one person or another; each person has an ability to cope with this phenomenon more or less easily.

Dental pain results from the transmission of a message from the brain, having itself received a first message informing it of an anomaly located in the oral cavity.

The symptoms of dental pain are probably as varied as the causes of the pain in question. These reveal an anomaly or disease related to dental disorders, but sometimes also ENT disorders.

In adults, different symptoms may occur:

• Dental hypersensitivity is characterized in particular by pain felt:
  • when brushing;
  • when air passes through the mouth;
  • when ingesting a hot or cold drink or food;
  • when ingesting sugar or slightly acidic foods.
• Pain from pressure or chewing occurs when eating a meal. It can be very intense and felt at the slightest touch. Sometimes these pains may be accompanied by other symptoms such as swelling of the gums or even the cheek. This case could be indicative of the presence of an abscess;
• Spontaneous pain (without doing anything) is the most surprising because it occurs in attacks that can last several minutes, without any cause being easily identified. It can be felt more violently at night. These symptoms are typical of “toothache” and may be a sign of pulpitis (inflammation of the pulp). These pains are often difficult to bear because they radiate far from the teeth, into the eye, ear, nose, sinus, etc..;
• Pain associated with spontaneous bleeding and/or swelling of the gums may indicate a bacterial infection. This is then manifested by the appearance of gingivitis or periodontitis;
• Diffuse pain on the face is often significant for facial neuralgia. This neuralgia concerns the trigeminal nerve and can cause severe pain as soon as you touch the face. Your dentist will be able to detect if the origin is dental or not.

Dental pain can have different origins: some are local (oral cavity) while others are more distant (sinus, jaw joint, face, etc.) For each cause, different levels of pain appear, depending on whether or not one is late in seeking treatment.

Some of these dental pains may, paradoxically, come from previous dental care, such as the insertion of a filling, for example, or the extraction of a wisdom tooth that has caused some complications.

Any pain must be analyzed and its cause investigated. The dentist, through careful examination, will be able to determine the origin.

• Cavities are probably the most common cause. Presenting itself as a cavity in the tooth, it is caused by the deterioration of the calcium in the tooth by acids and bacteria from food debris. This set first attacks the enamel of the tooth and then the dentin;
• Gingivitis and periodontitis. It is most often a pain that reveals the presence of an inflammation of the gums (or gingivitis) when it is not its aggravated aspect, a periodontitis (inflammation of the periodontium). The gums then appear red and swollen, hurt and react strongly to plaque and tartar;
• A dental abscess is the manifestation of an infection by bacteria. These appear in two different possible forms:
  • one results from the necrosis of the tooth nerve, leading to an internal infection with pus which, when it does not find a way out, spreads and causes a bump or swelling on the gum;
  • the other is an abscess of the gum itself, with the formation of pus that can escape through the gum;
• A dental fracture. An accident, a fight and the tooth is broken. This is a fairly common case that can cause pain. If the fracture is deep enough, bacteria from food debris can become lodged there. When the fracture is even deeper, it can leave the nerve uncovered, causing severe pain;
• Pulpiness, i. e. inflammation of the tooth nerve. This pathology may result, among other things, from a dental fracture or a deep cavity;
• Sinusitis is the inflammation of the sinuses in the upper part of the cheeks, above the upper premolars and molars. Although the teeth are not directly affected, it is a feeling of dental pain that is felt and the patient becomes sensitive to cold, heat, tightness of chewing, etc. This pain usually ends at the same time as sinusitis;
• Dental outbreaks. From 4 to 12 months, babies “teething”. This causes severe pain and is often accompanied by more or less significant inconveniences or discomforts such as diarrhea, fever, diaper rash, etc. The growth of wisdom teeth in young adults can also cause severe pain;
• Dental mobility. The mobility of teeth, often linked to periodontitis, can in itself create pain;
• Pain after root canal treatment or after tooth extraction. A tooth from which the nerve has died or been removed can temporarily cause some pain. This is mainly due to the sensitivity of the surroundings of the treated areas;
• Musculo-articular pain. Every time you chew, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is activated. This exercise puts him under intense and frequent pressure, which can cause great pain. Their muscles are subjected to great stress, including sometimes during sleep for people suffering from bruxism (clenching and grinding of the teeth). Other people may suffer in this joint if they have osteoarthritis (not to be confused with “dental arthritis”);
• Dental arthritis is a response to an attack on the ligament bundle (desmodontium), connecting the root of the tooth to the bone. This attack can be mechanical, chemical or infectious. This is a painful problem to which great attention must be paid because it can turn into an abscess;
• Malocclusion can also cause pain. The teeth do not intersect properly and this eventually causes asymmetric pressure on both sides of the jaw. Some signs may alert such as pain in front of the ear, pain in the jaw muscles, cracking when opening the mouth or during chewing, etc..;
• The salivary glands can also be the target of a bacterial outbreak, resulting in pain that sometimes radiates to the ears. These are such that they can make it difficult to eat food and cause fever;
• Candidiasis is a fungal infection affecting the oral mucosa. It causes pain on the tongue and in the whole mouth. It is more likely to occur in people with braces, babies or people with weakened immune systems;
• No apparent cause. As surprising as it may seem, some pain appears for no apparent reason. In reality, these reasons are often related to age, which is responsible for wear and tear on the cementum. These pains are felt on the emerging part of the tooth, at the level of the neck. Their manifestation is strangely similar to the pain caused by a cavity;
• Anxiety. The anxiety of going to the dentist almost gives you the feeling of pain already. In reality, this is not the case, but it is obvious that a relaxed person will feel much less pain than a person who is tense and anxious at the thought of sitting in the dentist’s chair.

Treatments for dental pain are as diverse as the causes. They depend on the type of injury as well as its severity.

At home

• In general, it would be wise to start by improving oral hygiene through careful brushing of the teeth and some gum care such as mouthwash. An appointment with your dentist would be welcome for verification;
• In the event of swelling, the application of a little ice can relieve the inflammation during its evolution;
• If you are watching your baby’s teeth grow, there is a whole arsenal of solutions to relieve them. However, if it is an adult, if the pain persists, it is best to make an appointment with the dentist. A pain is a warning. It should not be neglected.

At the dentist’s office

• For a cavity causing specific pains, the dentist will clean and disinfect the cavity formed by the cavity and block it with a suitable filling material;
• If the cavity has progressed to the pulp, a root canal treatment will be performed. However, in some cases, it is possible that the nerve may not be fully affected. There is then, possibly, the possibility of regenerating it in part;
• In the presence of an abscess, root canal treatment or root planing may be performed. Antibiotics may also be prescribed. However, if the bone is already affected, the tooth will have to be extracted;
• Extraction is the solution sometimes chosen during difficult wisdom teeth growths, especially when they are poorly positioned and the root approaches the nerve;
• For pains related to clenching and/or grinding of the teeth (bruxism), the wearing of an occlusal plate may be recommended;

In the case of dental pain, your personal care will relieve the symptoms of pain for a while but will not cure you. Only a visit to the dentist can eliminate the cause of the pain in question.

Pain related to abscesses will require a quick visit to the dentist or emergency hospital department.

Smoking can lead to the appearance of white patches on the inside of the cheeks. Painful or not, they could be “leukoplakia” that can turn into cancer. A visit to a dentist for a biopsy is essential.

The absence of treatment for cavities will most likely cause pain that will increase over time. Untreated caries can also turn into an abscess that will deepen until it reaches the pulp. This stage is accompanied by violent pain, occurring in sudden shocks.

It is essential to remember that pain is a wake-up call. Taking it into consideration can prevent serious infections or even tooth loss.

The first risk is to suffer unnecessarily. Then, if we manage to bear the pain, we do not eliminate the cause, which continues to cause damage. This can go as far as loosening the teeth and ultimately losing them.

An untreated bacterial outbreak can spread to the rest of the body through the bloodstream. For some people, this can lead to serious infections such as sepsis or a serious condition such as a heart attack. Fortunately, this only happens among people who have neglected to take care of themselves for a long time.

In addition, another danger that may result from care too late, particularly in the event of swelling due to infection, is the spread of streptococci or staphylococcus aureus, which may cause choking if they develop in the throat, to areas near or further from the initial outbreak.

Finally, some pains do not necessarily affect the areas where they occur. This is particularly the case for jaw pain associated with chest pain. This could be the warning signal of a heart problem.

Dental pain is, in any case, a symptom of an anomaly, possibly an ongoing infection, concerning the teeth or gums.

Prevention is the main weapon to prevent the arrival of infections. Here, it essentially consists of excellent oral hygiene. It is about:

• brush your teeth after each meal;
• use dental floss and/or interdental brushes;
• see a dentist once or twice a year, if not to prevent cavities, at least to avoid that they’re getting too big. The dentist will perform an examination to make sure everything is fine or to provide you with the right care.