Normally, you should not feel any tooth pain when you bite down. Otherwise, there may be an undiagnosed issue that a dentist in Chelsea NYC should look into. A toothache is a condition that must not be ignored as it can disrupt your daily life and ability to enjoy the things around you. A dentist can get to the root of the issue, so you can leave their office pain-free.
Common Causes of Tooth Pain When You Bite Down
If you experience tooth pain whenever you chew or bite, it may be because of the following:
- Dental cavity. Dental cavities are tooth holes that have formed in weakened or decayed teeth. They can cause sensitivity, sharp pain when drinking and eating, and spontaneous pain. If you have big cavities, good can get trapped in them. A lot of people experience tooth sensitivity to sweets because of a dental cavity.
- Tooth sensitivity. This happens due to worn-down enamel. As the enamel of your teeth gets too thin, the nerves inside your teeth gradually lose protection. This protection is gone when your enamel wears away completely. This results in pain whenever acidic foods and hot or cold beverages or foods hit the center of the nerves.
- A tooth crack or fracture. Minor tooth cracks and hairline fractures cause pain when you bite down and other symptoms. Such dental injuries are nearly impossible to detect with your own eyes. In fact, even X-rays may not be able to detect them. Special diagnosis and testing are required to detect these injuries.
- A loose tooth. Pain when you bite down can occur when you have a loose tooth. Biting on a loose tooth means stretching and pulling the tiny ligaments. This results in discomfort, soreness, and pain.
- Loose filling. Eventually, some dental fillings begin to pull away from your tooth. Whenever you bite down on this tooth, your filling moves slightly, resulting in discomfort and pain.
- Gum disease. Gum disease damages the ligaments that connect your teeth roots to your gums. A worsening infection causes gum recession, exposing the roots of the tooth. Also, this causes gum swelling and bleeding. In such cases, biting down is especially painful.
- Dental abscess. This pocket of pus develops around the roots of an infected tooth or gums. Dental abscesses can happen due to tooth damage, advanced gum disease, and an untreated bacterial gum infection.
- Malocclusion. This condition happens because of misaligned upper and lower teeth. As a result, biting down can be painful due to uneven pressure distribution.
- Sinus infection. In some instances, tooth pain can occur because of inflamed sinuses. This is because of the proximity of your teeth roots to your nasal tissues.
When to See a Dentist for Help
If you are dealing with persistent tooth pain, take this seriously. Toothache indicates an oral health issue and won’t disappear without proper treatment. In fact, when left untreated, tooth pain will get worse and the underlying cause exacerbates.
Keep in mind that many oral health problems do not cause tooth pain right away. Thus, when you begin to experience pain or sensitivity, the issue may have worsened. The longer it is not addressed, the more serious it will become.
Visit your dentist as soon as possible when you experience pain every time you bite down. Identifying the cause of the issues promptly allows for a more successful treatment. Also, early detection of the issue means requiring less invasive treatment. An experienced dentist can offer a range of services, including emergency dental care for serious tooth pain or injuries. No matter the type of oral health issue you are dealing with, they can better address it if you trust them early in the process.
