Dental Pain

Overview

Dental pain is often described as a toothache. However, dental pain does not only originate from the tooth, but it can also be radiating pain from the jaw or the gums. People with dental pain may experience a sharp, dull or throbbing pain in the affected area, pain in the gums surrounding the affected tooth, pain radiating to the jaw, pain upon chewing or eating, difficulty opening the mouth wide, bad taste in the mouth, bad breath, swelling of the gums or mouth, ear pain and fever. Dental pain can be caused by tooth decay, tooth abscess, impacted wisdom tooth, broken teeth, damaged filling of the tooth, gingivitis, periodontitis, trauma to the teeth or jaw and sinus infections. Dental pain can be treated temporarily at home with painkillers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, rinsing the mouth with warm saltwater and cold compression to the affected area.