Symptoms & diagnosis
Tooth pain diagnosis in Market Harborough
Toothache is one of the most misleading pains in the body. It can seem to come from the wrong tooth, the wrong jaw or even the ear. Before any treatment is proposed, we take the time to establish exactly which tooth is responsible — and whether it is a tooth at all.
Why diagnosis comes first
Pain from a dying pulp is often referred: a lower molar can hurt in the upper jaw, and an infected tooth can make its neighbours feel sore. Treating the wrong tooth is the most expensive mistake in endodontics, and it is entirely avoidable with careful testing. We therefore never start root canal treatment on the basis of a description of symptoms alone.
What the consultation involves
- Listening. When the pain started, what sets it off, how long it lasts, whether it wakes you and what relieves it all point towards particular diagnoses.
- Examination. We look at the teeth, fillings, crowns and gums, check for swelling, cracks and sinus tracts, and assess your bite.
- Cold and heat tests show whether the nerve in each tooth is healthy, inflamed or dead.
- Bite and percussion tests reveal inflammation around a root or a crack in a cusp.
- Radiographs, taken digitally at low dose, show infection around root tips, the depth of decay and the quality of any existing root fillings. Where a 3D scan would change the plan, we arrange one.
The consultation takes about 45 minutes. You leave with a clear explanation of what we found, a written plan if treatment is needed and the fee for it — nothing starts until you have agreed.
Common causes of tooth pain
- Reversible pulpitis — short, sharp sensitivity to cold from decay or a new filling, which usually settles once the cause is treated.
- Irreversible pulpitis — lingering pain to hot and cold, spontaneous throbbing, pain at night; the pulp will not recover and root canal treatment is needed.
- Infection around the root — pain on biting, swelling or a gum boil from a tooth whose pulp has already died.
- Cracked tooth — sharp pain on biting or releasing, hard to pin down.
- Non-dental causes — sinus congestion, jaw joint and muscle pain, and occasionally nerve pain, none of which is helped by dental treatment.
What you can do before the appointment
Note which tooth or side hurts, what triggers it and whether painkillers help. Bring any recent X-rays, or ask your dentist to send them. If the pain is severe or you have swelling, tell us when you call so that we can see you sooner — see emergency root canal treatment.