WHAT DO YOUR SYMPTOMS MEAN?

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 I stress that YOU SHOULD SEEK THE CARE FROM YOUR DENTIST should you have any symptoms.  

Regular dental visits may preempt many dental problems and preventative dentistry is always preferable.

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While the following may help to give you some idea of what might be going on, I must once again stress that YOU SHOULD SEEK THE CARE, CONSULTATION AND GUIDANCE OF A DENTIST should you have any symptoms.   Regular dental visits may preempt many dental problems and preventative dentistry is always preferable.

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ARE YOU EXPERIENCING

 

COLD SENSITIVITY:

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-irritated nerves due to:

               -cavities

               -trauma due to grinding

               -gum recession

               -gum disease

               -cracked teeth

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Cold Sensitivity:

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Could be normal for your teeth or could be a sign of an irritated nerve due to:  Cavity, Trauma from grinding, Exposed root surface from (gum recession, grinding, gum disease), Cracked and weakened tooth, …

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Heat Sensitivity:

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Heat sensitivity occurs when a person experiences extreme discomfort when their teeth are exposed to heat.

This sensitivity generally lingers for longer than a few seconds.

Prolonged teeth sensitivity is generally a sign that the nerve inside the tooth is in the process of dying. 

Once the nerve has completely died, pressure sensitivity may stop. However, the tooth will then be more likely to become infected.

If you are experiencing heat sensitivity in your teeth, I would suggest you set up an appointment with your dentist for a proper evaluation.

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Heat Sensitivity:

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Could be normal for your teeth or could be a sign of an irritated nerve due to: Cracked and weakened tooth, Dying nerve …..   Heat sensitivity that lasts a second or two is not as severe as heat sensitivity that lingers for more than a few seconds.   Prolonged heat sensitivity is generally a sign that the nerve inside the tooth is in the dying process.   Once a nerve has completed the dying process the temperature sensitivity may go away but the tooth might then be more likely to become infected.   Please go to a dentist for evaluation.

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Chewing/Pressure Sensitivity:

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Could be due to:  Cracked tooth, Sinus pressure, Teeth Grinding, Infected tooth, Gum Disease, …

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Combination of Heat, Cold and Chewing sensitivity:  

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This may be due to “Cracked Tooth Syndrome”.   This happens when the nerve inside of the tooth is still alive but the tooth is cracking and in the future a piece may break away or the tooth could split under the gum-line in a way that renders the tooth unfix-able.

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Unprovoked Throbbing:

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This could be due to:  A dying nerve, an infection, gum disease, Sinus infection …   In general, unprovoked throbbing is not usually a temporary symptom that will resolve back to a normal state.   You guessed it, best to see a dentist.

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Swelling:

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This could be due to:  Infection, blocked salivary duct where a calcium stone forms and clogs the tube for saliva drainage resulting in a back up of saliva, erupting tooth, muscle development from grinding, boney bumps forming to help the bone become stronger when the forces of grinding are too great, swollen gums from gum disease, the area behind the last lower tooth can sometimes become swollen if the upper tooth bites down on it, ...

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Why might symptoms increase at night?

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During the day when we are mostly sitting or standing, the blood pressure in our head is less than the blood pressure in our feet due to gravity.   When we lay down, there is an evening of this pressure.   While there may be less pressure in our feet, there will be more pressure in our teeth.   Any sensation that involves swelling or infection in an enclosed space (inside of our teeth or under the roots of our teeth) will have the pressure of the swelling or infection increased.

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Children’s Teeth:

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In addition to all of the problems associated with permanent teeth, children’s teeth can have symptoms when new teeth erupt or when primary teeth are shed.   Another term used to describe erupting teeth is “cutting the gums”.   Indeed they push their way through the gums and this is most noticeable when the child eats and food pressure pushes the gums further and more rapidly over the erupting tooth.   When a primary tooth root becomes resorbed from the permanent tooth moving up underneath it, the potentially sharper edge of the primary tooth might cause a “pinching” sensation to the gums when the primary tooth becomes loose and moves around.

 

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Bad Smell:

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This could be due to:  Infection, Gum disease, Inadequate dental hygiene, A predominance of Sulfur producing bacteria in your bacterial flora, Excessive bacteria living on the top surface of the tongue, Diet, Gastro-Intestinal issues, ....

 

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Noise:

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This could be due to:  Noise coming from the jaw joint area (Temporo-Mandibular Joint or TMJ).   This could be from damage to the bone/cartilage complex as a result to trauma, excessive wear from grinding, excessive wear over a long lifespan, irregular movement resulting from mal-aligned teeth, …   It could also be due to the upper and lower teeth rubbing together to the point that they develop flat areas.  These flat areas can “chatter or make a grinding sound” as they move past each other.

 

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ALL INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE IS FOR YOUR INTEREST ONLY.   IT IS NOT MEANT FOR DEFINITIVE DIAGNOSIS.   PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE SEEK DENTAL CARE PREVENTATIVELY BEFORE YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS AND CERTAINLY IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS.