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You wake up in the middle of the night with a throbbing, pounding pain in your mouth that just won’t quit. A toothache that keeps you from falling back asleep is bad enough, but it becomes unbearable when it goes on for days with no relief. Unfortunately, toothaches in both children and adults are quite common. Here’s more information on what causes tooth pain that won’t subside and when you need to take action to get relief.

Causes of Persistent Toothaches

There are a few potential causes behind a toothache that won’t go away.

The most common include tooth decay, damaged fillings, trauma to the tooth, and infections. Cracked teeth can also cause long-lasting pain.

Tooth decay occurs when plaque builds up on teeth and erodes enamel. This allows bacteria to infect the sensitive inner layers of your teeth. Children sometimes get toothaches after losing baby teeth as the permanent ones push through the gums.

Damaged dental work like fillings and crowns that aren’t fitted properly could also be letting bacteria inside the tooth. Regardless of the culprit, prolonged pain indicates advanced disease inside the tooth that requires a dentist’s care.

When To See an Emergency Dentist

Any time you experience sudden pain, booking an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible is a good idea. Seek out emergency dental care if the pain is severe and unbearable or you have any of the following symptoms:

• Throbbing pain prevents sleep for multiple nights
• Swelling in your jaw, cheeks, or gums
• Fever, chills, or generally feeling unwell
• Bleeding from the gums
• Bad breath or foul taste in your mouth that won’t go away

These accompany an infection like an abscess that could spread deeper through facial tissues. Antibiotics and dental procedures like root canals may be necessary to clear it up.

See a Toothache Expert in Mt. Pleasant, MI

Dr. Kenneth Egger offers a wide range of dental services to get to the bottom of your tooth pain. In addition to general dentistry, he also provides periodontal treatment for gum disease and root canal therapy. Please contact us today to schedule an appointment. You can call our office at 989-773-3560.