The toothache Or also commonly known as dental pain, it is one of the most typical manifestations in the oral cavity and one of the most frequent reasons for visiting dental clinics. This type of pain is non-somatic and non-neurogenic pain.
The term dental pain is grouped to a set of unpleasant sensations whose origin can be as diverse as its clinical relevance.
The typical symptomatology is intense, pulsating and continuous pain. It is usually referred to as a personal feeling of discomfort that forces the individual to react in a reflex way in order to suppress said painful stimulus.
Toothache is usually a pain that can vary in intensity and character depending on the associated factors and whether they are caused or not.
What are the causes of tooth pain?
It is known that toothache has a multifactorial nature, that is, there are numerous factors and causes why there may be one type or another of dental pain.
The most common cause of dental pain is the existence of cavities, although it can also be caused by other factors such as a dental abscess.Toothache can also be synonymous with dental hypersensitivity which can be produced after a professional prophylaxis where the calculus deposits present in the root have been removed and this has been exposed causing this type of dental pain.
Dental pain can be dental, which is a type of intense pain that lasts little, that is not well localized and that is due to a wide variety of external stimuli, such as changes in temperature, chemical environments, among others. This kind of pain does not always imply the existence of a pathology, but some stimuli can unchain it.
Pulp pain can have an internal origin, such as infectious, and is not directly related to external stimuli. It is a highly variable pain that can appear spontaneously with variable responses.
Acute pulp pain can become chronic if pulp deterioration and pulp inflammation persists.
Periodontal pain is easier to locate. Being a pathological process that can come from either a pulpal inflammation that affects the periodontium over time, or from an external involvement of the periodontium – such as gingivitis or periodontitis.
Another cause of toothache is the eruption of the primary teeth., causing discomfort of very variable intensity, including pain and fever.
The sensation of dental pain originates in the receptors located in the pulp (which is endowed with nerve fibers) or the dentin; on the contrary, cement and enamel are insensitive. Most of the time, tooth pain is caused by tooth decay. A restoration in poor condition, the loss of a filling, enamel abrasions, among others, are situations that can make the tooth more sensitive to pain.
Tooth Pain Treatments
Conventional pain relievers have widely proven efficacy and safety in dental pain. It can also be addressed through the topical use of local anesthetics. The most widely used are benzocaine and lidocaine.
In cases of dentin hypersensitivity, treatment should be established after the corresponding diagnosis by the dentist. However, In mild cases, the use of toothpastes with active dentin hypersensitivity may be recommended., which may contain potassium nitrate.
In the pain and discomfort associated with tooth eruption, a local anesthetic can be applied to the mucosa that covers the erupting tooth with a cotton tip applicator.
