Tooth pain urgency, possible causes and indicative treatment fees. Fillings start from $200; root canal treatment starts from $1,000.
Symptom and urgency guide
Pain patterns can suggest urgency, but they cannot confirm the cause. Use this page to choose appointment timing and understand what the dentist may investigate.
Urgency guide
This is general guidance. If symptoms are worsening, unusual or hard to judge, choose the earlier appointment.
Prompt assessment
Severe pain that does not settle, facial or gum swelling, fever with tooth pain, dental trauma, visible nerve exposure or bleeding that will not stop.
Usually within a few days
An ache that disrupts sleep, pain when biting, lingering heat sensitivity, a gum pimple or local swelling, or a chip with a painful sharp edge.
Routine but worth checking
Brief cold sensitivity, occasional mild discomfort, a bite that feels different, local gum tenderness or jaw ache on waking.
Possible causes
Several conditions can feel similar. The examination, vitality tests and imaging separate them and determine whether the tooth can be restored.
Sensitivity to sweet, hot or cold, a dull ache, or a visible dark spot can occur when decay affects the tooth.
Sharp pain on biting or release, hard-to-locate sensitivity and symptoms that come and go can occur with a crack.
Constant throbbing, gum or facial swelling, fever, a bad taste, or pain radiating toward the ear or jaw can be associated with infection.
Brief sensitivity to cold or sweet that fades within seconds can occur while the tooth nerve is irritated but potentially recoverable.
Lingering heat or cold pain, spontaneous throbbing and pain that wakes you can suggest deeper nerve inflammation.
Jaw ache on waking, worn or chipped teeth, headache and facial muscle tension can be associated with grinding.
Tender or bleeding gums, recession, and loose teeth in more advanced disease can be accompanied by a deep ache.
An ache across several upper back teeth that changes when bending or lying down can accompany sinus congestion.
While you wait
These measures can help with comfort but do not treat decay, a crack or infection.
Common questions
A dental examination is the point where symptom patterns become a specific diagnosis and treatment plan.
Severe constant pain, facial swelling, fever, dental trauma or bleeding that will not stop needs prompt assessment. Trouble breathing or swallowing, severe facial swelling or a life-threatening emergency needs 000 or a hospital emergency department.
Throbbing pain can come from inflammation or infection around the tooth nerve. Deep decay, a crack and an abscess are possible causes, but an examination is needed to identify which one applies.
Brief sensitivity from a temporary irritant can settle. Pain related to decay, infection or a crack may fluctuate even when the underlying problem remains, so persistent or recurring pain should be assessed.
Follow packet directions for over-the-counter pain relief if it is suitable for you, rinse with warm salt water and avoid very hot, cold or sweet food. These measures are temporary and do not treat the cause.
Possible causes include a crack, a loose or high filling, inflammation around the root, or an abscess. The location and pattern of pain guide the examination and imaging.
No. Gum recession, grinding, a cracked tooth, sinus pressure and pain referred from another area can also feel like toothache.
The cause determines the fee. A filling starts from $200, root canal treatment from $1000, and a simple extraction from $200. Ivy Dental provides a written quote before treatment.
Emergency appointments
Book an emergency appointment online at any time. During opening hours, call for phone triage if swelling, fever, trauma or pain severity makes the timing unclear.