Toothache Pain: Why does it go away?

It could be said that, like snowflakes, no two toothaches are exactly alike. Sometimes the teeth are hypersensitive to stimuli such as temperature, pressure, or sweets. Other times, a tooth may throb, ache, or just feel “different” from the other teeth. When a tooth is causing you pain, you’ll want to get to your Scottsbluff dentist as soon as possible.

For a normal or average toothache, a simple phone call to the dental office can typically resolve the problem. But, what should you do when a tooth hurts for a little while and then stops hurting? Maybe the pain kept you from eating on the tooth for a few days, or perhaps you lost a little sleep due to spontaneous dental pain. Then, after a few days and some pain medication, the discomfort just went away.

Many patients who suffer from dental pain can report that a bump sometimes appears on the gums near the tooth, bursts, and then the tooth feels better. A fluid-filled bump on the gums may be an area of infection that slowly grows until it is able to burst and relieve the painful pressure. When a painful tooth suddenly stops hurting, the symptoms may indicate that the tooth is dying. The absence of pain may be a relief, but unfortunately, this does not indicate that things are getting better. In fact, once a tooth dies, your options for saving your tooth will decrease dramatically.

Generally, when a cavity breaks through the enamel and approaches the nerve, there is a normal pain response. Similarly, when a tooth is traumatized by an injury or a fracture, you can expect to experience pain. However, as the nerve succumbs to the insult or injury, the level of pain sometimes declines until the tooth is no longer responsive at all. To save the tooth and maintain the integrity of your smile, a root canal treatment may be in your future. Cleaning out the infected nerve and leaving the rest of your tooth intact will eliminate a dangerous infection and prevent further damage.

With the infection resolved, you can turn to your cosmetic dentist in Scottsbluff for a permanent dental crown that will reinforce your non-vital tooth. To learn more, call for your appointment today.