Tooth Pain, Sensitive Teeth, Mouth Pain, Sore Gums and Tooth Sensitivity Products

Tooth Pain can be one of the most excruciating pains a person can experience.

There are a variety of reasons for pain in the mouth. The most common ones are listed below:

A. Tooth pain

• Cavity (caries) or tooth decay. (a  hole in a tooth caused by acid  formed by plaque on the teeth.)
• Orthodontics
• Fractured tooth
• Trauma from occlusion (heavy bite or bruxism)
• Trauma from foreign objects (biting nails, pens, pencils etc).
• Poorly fitting restorations.
• Diet high in roughage like Sun-flour seeds
• Erosion by acid exposing dentin
• Acid reflux (GERD
• Excessive intake of acid foods like citrus
• Purging
• Genetically or environmentally defective enamel 
• Poor diet
• Amelogenisis Imperfecta and many others
• Multiple illnesses during tooth maturation age

B. Gum pain

• Gum Recession. Gums can recede for a few reasons:
• Braces pushing teeth beyond the boundaries of the bone and soft tissue
• Aggressive tooth brushing
• Abfraction (splintering off of tooth structure)  from excessive biting forces (clenching, grinding called bruxism)
• Gum disease and gum surgery causing gum and bone to be destroyed
• Passive eruption with age as teeth wear.
• Extraction  of a neighbor tooth leading to bone atrophy and gum receding. 
• Genetics causing an inadequate band of attached gingiva to protect the tooth.
• Trauma from habits like lip ring, tongue ring, foreign objects in the mouth, including toothpicks.
• Frenum pulls (muscle attachments in the mouth near the gum)
• Food packing between teeth.
• trauma from dental appliances.
• Impacted tooth (a tooth trying to erupt that is bumping into a structure or tooth)
• A combination of these.
• Infection
•  Tooth (abscessed tooth)\
•  Gums
• Pericoronitis (a gum flap over an erupting tooth)
• Gingivitis/periodontitis/ NUG/ANUG (trench mouth)

C. Other infections causing  mouth pain

•  Other oral tissues
• Salivary gland infection
• Canker sore (viral?)
• Thrush (yeast infection)
• Sinus/nasal infection
• Ear infection
• Tonsillitis
• Other infections

D. Other causes of mouth pain

• Autoimmune disorders
• Braces causing injury to cheeks and tongue
• Tongue and cheek biting
• Geographic tongue (a condition causing a burning sensation of the tongue)
• Referred pain like (angina) heart disease 
• Headache pain not related the above (there are over 150 types of headaches with varying degrees of mouth involvement)
• Muscle spasm of muscles of the mouth and supporting structures
• Tumors and cancers
• Neurological disorders like Trigeminal Neuralgia
• Blocked salivary glands
• Tumors of the central nervous system
• Systemic conditions and diseases like Fibromyalgia
• Pinched nerves
• TMJ Pain (internal derangement)
• Trauma

There are a few topical treatments readily for mouth pain that are available over the counter listed below:

A. Tooth Pain

• Desesitizing toothpastes several common (active ingredient is either Strontium Chloride  or Potassium Nitrate) 
• These are somewhat effective for sensitive teeth, within a week of two and must be used daily.
• MI Paste, SootheRX, Oravive toothpaste, Dr. Collins Restoring toothpaste a remineralization toothpaste (utilizing a unique Calcium Phosphate complex) these work quite well.
• OraJel tooth desensitizer. Contains an acrylic coating material. leaves a film on your teeth can be difficult to apply.
• Red Cross tooth drops (clove oil) or clove oil from health food stores. Be careful as it can be toxic and injure the gums if used excessively.
• Anbesol, OraJel (and others) contains Benzocaine. Can injure gum tissue if used for extended period
• Fluoride toothpaste standard (not very effective alone)
• Dentemp  and others a temporary (filing for cavities)
• Orabase for painful gums. Contains Benzocaine. Be careful as it can injure gum tissue if used for extended periods.

Treatments you dentist can provide include:

• Prescribing antibiotics and analgesics
• Dental care to:
•  Fill a cavity or place a crown.
• Extract a tooth
• Clean out a gum infection
• Remove pericoronitis (laser or other method)
• Desensitize a tooth with a chemical treatment or seal the exposed dentin
• Treat an abcessed tooth (root canal)
• Remove food impaction and correct the problem
• Adjust the bite on an injured tooth
• Prescribe a biteplane for bruxism, TMJ disorder, headache, muscle pain. recommend care for GERD or other erosive causes
• Advise about oral habits and foreign objects causing injury
• Supply MI Paste, SootheRX, Fluoridex, Prevident 5000 prescription strength toothpaste
• Adjust a dental appliance
• Provide orthodontic wax
• Recommend definitive care for conditions that will likely recur. (eg treatment for periodontal disease, multiple missing teeth, severe wear and breakdown of teeth,  multiple cavities etc)
• Evaluate refer for further care for oral tumors, headaches and other conditions out of the scope of the dentists expertise.

I welcome your comments. Phillip C. Neal DDS Crystal Lake Dental Associates 280 B Memorial Court Crystal Lake, Illinois 60014 815 459 2202 www.DrNeal.com