By Joy Anyim
When we chew, bite, talk or even cut, the tooth is the body part that helps achieve all of these.
The teeth, which are enamel-coated, are the hardest substance in the human body. An adult has a total of 32 teeth while children have 20 teeth.
Primarily, the teeth are divided into four parts – incisors, canines, premolars and molars.
A typical adult has eight incisors, four canines, eight premolars and twelve molars (including the four experts call the wisdom teeth).
They all have separate use, but yet, complement one another in performing the overall function of the teeth.
Like every other part of the body, the teeth have their own health challenge, which sometimes could be minor or critical.
A major type of such challenge is toothache, which can be very discomforting.
A specialist in Community Dentistry, Department of Periodontology and Community Dentistry, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Dr. Omotayo Francis Fagbule, talks extensively on this.
In a chat with The Nigerian Xpress correspondent, Fagbule discussed toothache in various sub-headings.
What is toothache?
Toothache can simply be defined as unpleasant sensation (pain), arising from the tooth or its immediate surrounding structures. Toothache is not actually a disease in itself (except on few occasions), but pain is mostly a symptom; i.e. an indication that there is a problem/disease going on in the tooth and/or its surrounding structures.
- What are the causes?
There are several causes of pain from the tooth. These are most often based on the cause of injury and/or the part of tooth and the surrounding structures that may have been affected.
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Common causes of pain from the tooth:
Trauma: Any form of trauma to the tooth, e.g. falls, direct blow, mistakenly biting on stone while eating, etc.
Tooth infection (Caries/hole in the tooth): This may lead to other problems like dental abscess, etc.
Exposed root of the tooth – Food particle (e.g. meat) stuck in-between the tooth and the gum
Gum diseases
Cracked/Broken tooth
Jaw tumour/cancer of the jaw bone: While not attempting to scare readers, it is still important to inform them that when someone has diseases of the jaw bone e.g. tumour (cancer), the early/first symptom may be toothache, which would affect the teeth around the location of the tumour/bone lesion.
There are several other causes.
3. Do we have different types or character?
Sharp pain, dull pain, throbbing pain, lancinating pain, continuous/intermittent pain, severe/mild pain.
- Are there habits that put one at risk of having toothache or is it hereditary?
Toothache is not hereditary!
People usually have pain when there is a particular problem with the tooth or its immediate surrounding structures. Many times, people’s habits often lead to the problems that can cause toothache.
For example: People who have the habit of opening bottle-covers with their teeth are at a higher risk of having their tooth broken/cracked, which would result in pain.
Those that have the habit of not cleaning their mouth adequately are at a risk of haing caries (hole in the tooth), gum diseases, etc., which will lead to pain (toothache).
Those that have the habit of brushing, using the wrong technique (horizontal strokes), or who use hard bristle toothbrushes are at a risk of having abrasion (loss of the superficial part) of their teeth, which may eventually result in sharp pain.
Those that have the habit of eating very acidic fruits like lime, unripe oranges, etc. are at a risk of having ‘erosion of their tooth surface’, which may result in pain.
- Can such pain lead to death?
Pain is actually a good thing!
This is because it points the attention of the person to the fact that there is a problem going on that needs urgent attention. Hence, pain in itself will not cause death. However, if nothing is done, concerning the problem, then the dental disease may eventually lead to an overwhelming infection/complication that MAY lead to death.
Again, pain (toothache) will NOT lead to death, but if the dental problem/infection is not taken care of, it MAY lead to death.
- Can toothache spread to other parts?
Toothache is often “referred” to other parts of the head and neck. This does not necessarily mean the pain is “spreading”, but since the nerves are all connected, it is possible that someone with toothache is also having earache, headache, etc. But once the cause of the toothache is treated, then all the other referred pain would also stop.
Treatment of toothache
Temporary treatment: Using medications (pain relievers) can help to relieve the pain temporarily, while the person seeks a more definitive solution.