The Different Types Of Toothache Pain And What They Reveal

As we touched upon before, different types of tooth related pain can be an indicator of different problems.


Sharp, shooting pain:


Can indicate tooth sensitivity or hypersensitivity due to wear and tear and demineralization of tooth enamel from brushing (especially with a hard bristle brush), gum recession where the root is being exposed to more air than usual, decaying dental cavity, cracked tooth or abscess.


Chronic, lingering pain:


Suffering from this type of toothache could be the result of nerve damage from grinding the teeth, advanced tooth decay which has penetrated and damaged the nerve, trauma to the affected area through injury.


Pain or discomfort while eating:


Usually arises from tooth decay or a cracked tooth.




Severe throbbing pain:


Along with a swollen face or lymph nodes, swelling under the jaw of the affected side is usually an indicator of infection from an abscess.


Pain to the back of the jaw:


Particularly where the molars are situated may be due to impacted wisdom teeth where the teeth on some occasions only partially come through or remain below the surface of the gum line causing pain whenever applying pressure through biting. It's a pain similar to a baby teething only with the added tension of the teeth not able to cut through the gum.


This type of pain could also indicate TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint disorder) or Bruxism (tooth grinding), which can express pain in the jaw and in the facial bones such as the cheekbones and the boney structure within the outer ear canals.


You can feel this structure where the hinge is located linking the upper and lower jaws by simply inserting your index finger into your ear while chewing at the same time, that movement you experience is the Temporomandibular joint. This type of movement causes joint friction and discomfort for sufferers of TMJ.


Whatever the cause, your toothache could represent other problems. It's best to get this checked out by your dental professional while you treat the immediate pain now.