Are your molar teeth causing you significant sensitivity? Many symptoms can cause this, and it is important to know what they are. The pain may radiate to your entire mouth and not just to the affected molar.
Out of 32 permanent teeth, 12 of them are molars situated at the back of the mouth. This set of teeth is typically used to grind food.
Alongside understanding the causes of molar pain, visiting the dentist will also be very important.
What Causes Molar Pain?
Let’s take a look at the causes of molar pain:
Dental Cavities
Debris spread across your teeth causes dental cavities to form because of the build-up of bacteria. Any acid produced by bacteria causes a hole in a tooth. Molars are difficult to clean, and hence, they’re more likely to develop cavities compared to your front teeth.
Pulp Inflammation
When a tooth is “injured”, this can cause inflammation of the pulp (or pulpitis), which is the underlying tissue in the centre of the tooth. Without the pulp, the blood supply for the tooth becomes limited. Therefore, when eating hot and cold foods, eating will become painful.
Impacted Tooth
When a tooth is impacted, it means that there isn’t enough room at the back of the mouth for the molar to grow. This means the tooth may grow at an angle and damage neighbouring teeth, which means it’d likely need to be removed.
Gum Disease
Gum disease can cause an increase in bacteria penetrating inside your gums. This can cause teeth to become painful when eating. The gum covering the wisdom tooth will also become inflamed.
Tooth Abscess
A tooth abscess occurs when pus in the centre of the tooth increases. This can lead to severe tooth pain and swelling. A dentist would need to drain the pus to reduce the level of infection.
What Are The Available Treatments For Molar Pain?
When infections from a tooth become worse, they can spread throughout the mouth, which can become dangerous for your overall oral health. Therefore, treatment will be necessary when you experience molar pain.
Consider these at-home treatments to limit molar pain:
Sensitive Toothpaste
Sensitive toothpaste is designed to rebuild the underlying dentin that originally becomes exposed and causes a hole in the enamel of your teeth. Sensitive toothpaste contains fluoride, designed to rebuild your enamel.
Cold Compress
Applying a cold compress over the affected tooth can help reduce any underlying swelling that may have occurred. Apply the cold compress on the outside of your cheek against the affected tooth for a few minutes at a time throughout the day.
Saltwater Rinse
Saltwater can help relieve tooth pain because salt is classed as an antiseptic and can gently remove the bacteria in the infected area. Take a teaspoon of salt in a glass of lukewarm water and circulate the affected area.
Over-The-Counter Medication
Over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen are short-term pain relievers.
Ensure You Visit The Dentist…
You’ll need to visit the dentist if the pain gets severe and the at-home remedies don’t work. Although, any form of molar pain will require an appointment so the dentist can determine the underlying reason for the pain.