mouth and dental disorders
Toothache
Evaluation of Toothache
People with tooth pain should see a dentist. The following information can help people decide when a dentist’s examination is needed and help them know what to expect during the evaluation. In people with a toothache, certain symptoms and characteristics are cause for concern. These signs are warnings that a dental infection may have spread and include Headache and/or confusion Fever Swelling or tenderness of the floor of the mouth Difficulty seeing or double vision People who have warning signs and those with swelling around an eye should go to the hospital right away. People who do not have warning signs but who have swelling over the jaw, very severe pain, or drainage of pus from the base of a tooth should see a dentist as soon as possible. Other people who have a toothache should see a dentist at some point, but a delay of several days is not harmful. Dentists first ask questions about the person's symptoms and medical history. Dentists then examine the face, mouth, and teeth. What they find during the history and physical examination often suggests a cause of the toothache and the tests that may need to be done. In some situations, the dentist applies an ice cube or a cotton pellet that has been chilled with a dental refrigerant briefly to each tooth. It is removed once pain is felt. In healthy teeth, the pain stops almost immediately. Pain that lingers for more than a few seconds indicates pulp damage (for example, Pulpitis ). The dentist palpates the floor of the mouth for irregularities, such as thickening, hardening, and/or tenderness, to find signs of a tumor, salivary gland problem, or deep space infection (for example, an abscess). The need for tests depends on what dentists or doctors find during the history and physical examination, particularly whether warning signs are present. However, dental x-rays are usually done. If Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis or 