StoneRock Dental Care

  • About Us
    • Patient Journey
    • Testimonials
    • Our Fees
    • StoneRock Prevention and Platinum Plan Membership
    • The Gentle Dental Philosophy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Access Statement
  • Our Team
    • Ian Kerr
    • Russell Blanchard
    • Antonio de Vivo
    • Guy McLellan
    • Matthew McNulty
    • Arwa Al-Khaburi
    • Hygiene Team
    • Pawel Lasota
    • Nursing Team
    • Customer Service Team
    • Osteopath Team
    • Chiropractic Clinic
  • Treatments
    • Cosmetic Dentistry
      • Whitening
      • Bridges
      • Porcelain Crowns
      • Porcelain Veneers
      • Direct Composites – white fillings
    • Invisalign
    • Adult Orthodontics
      • Inman Aligner
    • Smile Solutions
    • Family Dentistry
    • Wedding Day Smiles
    • StoneRock Facial Clinic
      • Non Surgical Facial Treatments
      • Plasma Rich Growth Factor (PRGF) Facelift
    • Periodontal Care
    • Hygienist Care
    • Osteopath Clinic
    • Dental Health
    • Dental Pain
    • Snoring and Sleep Apnoea
    • Smoking Cessation
  • Implant Clinic
    • All on 4 Implants
    • Implant Retained Crowns
    • Implant Retained Bridges
    • Mind The Gap – Missing Teeth
    • Implant Fees
  • FAQs
    • What is Cosmetic Dentistry?
      • Cosmetic Dentistry – Frequently Asked Questions
    • Inman Aligner FAQs
    • What is a Root Canal Filling?
    • What is an Dental Implant?
    • What is a Crown?
    • What is Fibre Reinforced Composite?
    • What is a Veneer?
    • What’s in a Smile?
    • What are Dentures?
    • What is PRGF® ?
  • News
  • Contact Us
    • A Healthy Mouth, Our Top Ten Tips
    • Ask A Question
    • Patient Referral
    • Links

Acute Dental Pain

Pain is the body’s way of telling us that part of us is damaged and needs to be protected or left alone; it prevents us from using this damaged part whilst healing takes place. The nerve that supplies the teeth is known as the trigeminal nerve and is the largest sensory nerve in the body and causes acute dental pain. Input from this nerve accounts for 50% of the input to the part of the brain that deals with information received from our senses (the sensory cortex). It is little wonder that toothache can be an inescapable pain that drives sufferers to distraction.

Whilst toothache can occasionally present without warning, for most patients who present as an emergency in pain there will have been early warning signs that, if acted upon, could have prevented the whole acute episode.

Teeth that are becoming increasingly sensitive to extremes of temperature (hot or cold) where the discomfort lasts for 30 seconds or more after the stimulus has gone or teeth that are giving spontaneous jolts of pain are, most likely, showing signs of an irreversibly damaged nerve and will almost always continue on to give worse pain.

Pain on biting is usually due to one of two possible causes. If the pain is difficult to locate to one tooth and happens periodically, often when biting on chewy foods then it is most likely due to a cracked tooth whereas pain on biting on one specific tooth that is easy to locate is often due to inflammation around the tip of the root that reflects the presence of a dying nerve within it. In the later stages of dental pain, where the nerve has completely died off and the root canal has become infected then pain on biting may also be due to dental infection or abscess associated with this tooth.

Cracked tooth syndrome refers to a periodic pain on biting that is very difficult for the sufferer to localise. It is caused by a fracture line which undermines a portion of the tooth and causes it to flex or move under chewing pressure. Typically patients will report a sudden jolt of pain under increased load, often when the catch the particular tooth with an unexpected grain or solid lump in their food. It is very difficult to spot the offending tooth in the early stages as they will all look the same and the crack will not show up on any radiograph. Careful examination, by your dentist, of each tooth under load can usually track down the offending portion of the tooth and early treatment will avoid unnecessary pain and suffering from toothache and provide a far better outcome for the tooth.

Back to main Pain page

Sign up to our newsletter

Sign up to the quarterly StoneRock newsletter, to be kept informed of our latest news, events and special offers plus educational pieces about dental health.

Connect with StoneRock

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Search

Latest News

  • LLM by Research for Ian Kerr BDS MSc
  • Invisalign
  • Invisalign Open Evening May 10th

StoneRock on Facebook

This message is only visible to admins.
Problem displaying Facebook posts.
Click to show error
Error: Server configuration issue

About StoneRock Dental Care

StoneRock Dental Care is a stunning dental practice in Hawkhurst, Nr Cranbrook on the Kent and East Sussex border. We provide every level of care, from routine family dental visits to complete cosmetic dental makeovers, including dental implants, teeth whitening, veneers, bridges and other cosmetic dental and facial aesthetic techniques.

We know how hard it can be to choose a dentist and we know how tough it can be to decide what treatment is right for you, therefore we put your comfort and your well being at the heart of every treatment that we provide.

You can contact us on 01580 752202 or info@stonerock.co.uk

Latest News

  • LLM by Research for Ian Kerr BDS MSc
  • Invisalign
  • Invisalign Open Evening May 10th
  • Administration Manager Job Role
  • Qualified Dental Nurse
  • Receptionist Job
  • Children’s Dental Health
  • Trainee Dental Nurse

Follow us on Twitter

  • StoneRock remains open. Currently there are no restrictions with regard to medical treatment, it is both safe and e… https://t.co/Envx37AI7Fover a year ago
  • https://t.co/Mhzk0GyGLN https://t.co/9zQs4dijTvover a year ago
  • https://t.co/DZlEnyMPmv https://t.co/DoIs1YjNvEover a year ago

© Copyright 2023 StoneRock Dental Care, All Rights Reserved · Legal · Cookie Policy · Site by Nick Ebdon

StoneRock Dental Care is a trading name of SR Moors Limited · Registered Office: Stonerock House, High Street, Hawkhurst, Kent TN18 4AG · Registered in England and Wales, Number: 6896953