Throbbing tooth pain that comes and goes can indicate tooth damage. A toothache can also be due to cavity or tooth decay. A person is also likely to experience throbbing tooth pain in the presence of tooth infection or inflammation, called pulpitis.
The pink pulp inside your tooth contains the nerves, tissue, and blood vessels that keep your tooth alive. When a cavity develops, it forms an opening in the tooth, allowing bacteria and air to seep inside. The germs can infect and irritate the pulp nerves, and you may experience a toothache.
Other symptoms of Tooth Pain
Along with throbbing pain that comes and goes, here are some other symptoms of toothache, including:
- tenderness in the mouth
- aching jaw
- foul taste in the mouth
- bad breath
- persistent ache
- sensitivity
- pain when you bite on something
- swollen gums
- fever
What Causes Toothache?
Here are eight causes of throbbing tooth pain that comes and goes.
1. Tooth decay (cavity)
One of the most common reasons for throbbing tooth pain is tooth decay. You can experience tooth decay when bacteria damage the enamel of your tooth. Though mouth bacteria are present in a healthy mouth and body, having an excess of bad bacteria is never good.
Treatment
The treatment of throbbing pain caused by cavities includes fixing the affected areas by your dentist. You may undergo:
- dental cleaning to eliminate plaque
- filling to fill in the cavity
- medicines to get rid of the infection
2. Tooth fracture
Biting something hard such as ice can give you a tooth fracture. A tooth fracture is a kind of crack in the tooth that you can also experience if something hits your jaw or in a fall. In some cases, tooth fracture can progress slowly. A tooth fracture can give you pulsating tooth pain.
Treatment
A tooth fracture can be repaired with a dental filling, glue, or a veneer. On top of that, you may have to wear a tooth crown or go for a root canal treatment.
3. Infected gums
Infected gums can result in gum disease, also called periodontitis. Bacteria from infected gums can accumulate around the roots of the tooth and cause infection leading to throbbing tooth pain.
What causes gum infection?
- bad oral hygiene routine
- poor eating habits
- smoking
- hormonal changes
- certain medications
- chronic diseases such as diabetes
- genetics
Treatment
Antibiotics are the common treatment of gum infection. You may also need professional cleaning to remove plaque build-up. What else you can do is use a mouth rinse to minimize toothache and gum inflammation.
4. Tooth abscess
Tooth infection or inflammation can result in a tooth abscess.
If you have a damaged tooth that allows bacteria to get inside the tooth, you can experience a tooth abscess.
Treatment
Treatment options for tooth abscess:
- cleaning out the abscess
- cleaning and treating the gums
- antibiotics to kill infection-causing bacteria
- root canal
Book an appointment!
If you have throbbing tooth pain along with other symptoms, it’s good to get dental care. Book an appointment with the dentists at Pearl Dentistry. Call us at 713.766.4389.
