Toothaches and earaches have much in common. Both conditions can be accompanied by a fever, and both can limit your ability to focus on daily tasks or get any sleep at night.
Toothaches are often accompanied by pain that originates from around or inside a tooth. It is experienced as an aching sensation that intensifies when the tooth is exposed to sweet, hot or cold foods/beverages. Tooth pain often comes with symptoms like fever, bad breath, ear pain and swollen glands.
Tooth pain can be caused by a variety of things. Common causes include habits like teeth grinding, defective dental work, gum disease, damaged teeth or infection.
Earaches are often caused by sinus infections like a flu or cold, an infection in the ear, a blockage in the ear, jaw pain or toothaches. The symptoms that typically come with earaches include sinus blockage, difficulty hearing, poor balance, loss of appetite, fever and pain coming from the ear.
The similarities in the symptoms and causes of toothaches and ear pain sometimes make it difficult for people to differentiate between the two. A person’s sinuses are located close to their top set of teeth, so any pain or pressure felt in the sinuses feels like it is coming from a tooth, even though it may actually be coming from an ear.
Here are tips that can help:
- If the pain comes with a sinus infection, like a cold or flu, it is typically being caused by an issue with the ear
- Pain accompanied by a headache makes it more likely to be a toothache
- A person is more likely to experience a toothache or ear pain based on how often they have had either issue in the past
- A dentist can accurately diagnose where the pain is coming from
Treating toothaches
Toothaches can be caused by a variety of things, like tooth decay, teeth erosion or trauma to the face. Here is how a dentist addresses common causes of tooth pain.
Cavities: Cavities are formed when acids created by oral bacteria eat away at teeth enamel. These small holes form on teeth surfaces and allow acids in the mouth to get into the more sensitive dentin. This leads to tooth pain that intensifies as the cavity expands toward the pulp chamber. Cavities can be treated with fillings. The dentist removes decayed material from the tooth, then fills up the cavity.
Root canals: Root canals are performed when a tooth has a damaged pulp chamber. The procedure is used to remove the soft tissues and the nerve in the chamber, bringing an end to any pain being experienced by the patient.
Crowns: Crowns are used to address toothaches when a significant portion of the tooth has been lost. The crown protects what is left of the tooth from breaking apart.
Get the treatment you need
Call or visit our Auburn clinic to set up an appointment with our dentist if you are dealing with a toothache and ear pain.
Request an appointment here: https://pier210dental.com or call Pier 210 Dental Group at (530) 885-5696 for an appointment in our Auburn office.
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