Few things are as shocking and as disturbing as the sensation when your teeth bite down on that unexpected stone in your rice meal and yet even that is not as painful, as uncomfortable as pain that comes when chewing food. It steals the joy out of eating and replaces it with sometimes very excruciating pain. Today, we are going to look at some of the reasons why this could occur.

1. Presence of a deep cavity on a tooth

When caries develop on a tooth, they cause destruction of the vital tooth structure and form cavities. These cavities deepen as the disease process goes on until they reach the pulp at which point or slightly before, they become painful. When food is placed on the tooth, pressure is mounted on the pulp chamber which causes the pain to ensue. This pain can be alleviated by either a filling or a root canal depending on the prognosis.

2. Failed restorations

There is a sub group of caries called secondary caries. These develop on a tooth which has had a restoration placed before. They may develop because the restoration is not well fitting or because the diseased tooth structure was not effectively removed before placement. The pain causation is the same as that of the deep cavities.

3. Cracked tooth syndrome

Cracked tooth syndrome (CTS) is where a tooth has incompletely cracked but no part of the tooth has yet broken off. It occurs as a result of trauma or excessive bite forces when chewing on very hard objectives for example that stone in your rice. This pain is sharp and only lasts as long as the bite. It is difficult to diagnose because the tooth may appear normal to the human eye and yet, the minuscule crack is a painful disaster waiting to happen since the tooth may eventually break.

4. Gingivitis and periodontitis

Infection or inflammation of the teeth supporting structures can cause pain on chewing. This is because the diseases process can irritate the nerves and the cytokines released can induce the sensation of pain.

5. Nasal/ sinus pressure and congestion

Sometimes, the pain experienced on chewing in the upper teeth may not be a result of a dental problem. The roots of your teeth are situated in close proximity to your nasal sinuses and henceforth, it could be because the sinuses are inflamed.

6. Dental abscess

A tooth abscess is a pocket of pus that’s caused by a bacterial infection. It can be painful and maybe associated with a visible swelling. It develops as a result of caries that have progressed to the extra dental tissues and may thus be characterized by a chronic throbbing pain.

What to do when you feel tooth pain

Tooth pain isn’t something that just goes away on its own over time. Unlike other types of body aches that improve with rest or an over-the-counter pain reliever, toothaches mean that something more serious is going on inside of your mouth and these pain symptoms shouldn’t be ignored.

If you have a single tooth or several teeth that hurt when you bite or chew, schedule a check up with Ezza Dental Care. Our dentist will help you get the answers you need to best care for your smile and keep it healthy for years to come!