​Why have I got a pain in my tooth?

The sensation of discomfort in your teeth can be caused by a wide range of issues, but the most common ones are:

Toothache caused by tooth decay. Your teeth are covered by a strong enamel, whereas the inside is softer dentine, with the nerve below. When you experience the sensation of toothache, it’s possible the decay has gone further down, causing the nerve in the tooth to become inflamed and irritated. With the nerve now swollen, the increased pressure has nowhere to go and can cause widespread sensations of discomfort throughout your mouth, face and neck. 

Heightened sensitivity. Quite often, people can suffer from toothache while drinking cold drinks or ice cream, this is caused by having only a thin layer of enamel or exposed dentine. If this sensation continues long after you’ve had a cold drink or ice cream, it’s possible that you require a root canal. 

Gum infection around wisdom teeth is a common cause of increased discomfort. In some cases the infection can cause huge swelling and make it hard to open the mouth, chew food or swallow.

Dr. Marie Sanfey

Cosmetic Dentist

BDS NUI(Hons) MJDF RCS (Eng)

MSc Aesthetic Restorative Dentistry KCL, Advanced aesthetics