Teeth can hurt for a lot of potential reasons, and the only way to know for sure what's causing your tooth pain is to visit a licensed dentist that can help you. But if you're curious as to why your teeth are starting to hurt, here are a variety of potential reasons that could be causing your symptoms.
Cavity
The most common and obvious reason why is that you could have a cavity. Cavities are essentially holes in the teeth built by plaque, tartar, and bacteria chipping away at the tooth and breaking it down. When the cavity progresses to a certain point in the tooth, usually past the level of the enamel, it can start to hurt because the damage is starting to infringe upon the parts of the tooth that have nerves in them. It's important to note that cavities only start to hurt once they're rather advanced, so if you think you might have a cavity, you should get help right away.
Misalignment
Believe it or not, misaligned teeth can potentially hurt just because they're misaligned. This happens when teeth are overcrowded and rubbing up against each other.
Teeth can hurt when they're overcrowded because hard enamel is pressing on more hard enamel. If the pressure between the two teeth is strong enough, it can result in a lot of pain that won't go away until the teeth are better aligned. This can either be accomplished with braces or by surgically moving the teeth for immediate relief.
Resorption
Lastly, a rare condition called resorption could be responsible for your tooth pain. While unusual, it can happen to anyone. This condition is where the body mistakenly turns on the process that it once used to help your baby teeth fall out.
Tooth resorption is where the root of the tooth is absorbed back into the body so that the tooth can fall out. With baby teeth, this is a natural process, but with adult teeth, it's often painful and can result in the complete loss of a tooth. Unfortunately, since the process starts on the inside of the tooth, it's often not clear what's causing the pain unless you go to a dentist and get X-rays.
Putting off tooth pain might not seem like a bad idea, but it actually is. Whatever your problem is will only get worse for as long as you ignore it. Get in touch with a dentist and get the help that you need to put a stop to your pain and any progressing issues putting your teeth at risk.
Share23 March 2020
Do you care for your teeth like you should? Most people brush their teeth, but so many people rush through this process and are not as careful as they should be. Still others avoid flossing. A lack of dental care over the years can lead to increased decay. Thankfully, we have dentists who can treat decay with fillings, crowns, and in some cases, root canals. Dentists also provide preventative care. They can clean your teeth and use things like fluoride treatments to strengthen your enamel. The more you know about dental care, the better you'll be able to care for your mouth, so feel free to read some of the articles on this website.