Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsOther SymptomsCommon CausesOther Possible CausesAt-Home Self-Care TipsWhen to See a Dentist
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Other Symptoms
Common Causes
Other Possible Causes
At-Home Self-Care Tips
When to See a Dentist
Many people describe throbbing tooth pain as pulsing. This tooth pain typically indicates injury or infection in the mouth—often a cavity or an abscess. However, there are many possible causes.
This article covers symptoms and causes of throbbing tooth pain and what to do.
Iuliia Burmistrova / Getty Images
In addition to throbbing, the following symptoms may accompany this type of tooth pain:
Common Causes of Throbbing Tooth Pain and Treatment Options
Teeth can hurt for many reasons. Treatment often depends on the cause of the pain.
Cavities and Tooth Decay
Treatment options for acavityinclude:
Dental Infections
Treatment for an abscessed tooth includes:
Tooth Fracture
A cracked orchipped toothmay also lead to throbbing tooth pain. This cause of tooth pain is not resolvable at home. You’ll need help from a dentist to repair the crack so an infection doesn’t settle in.
Dentists treat tooth fractures in the following ways:
Damaged Filling
Fillings typically do not last a lifetime. Over time, they break down and need to be repaired or replaced.If your filling becomes damaged, loosens, or falls out, it can lead to throbbing tooth pain. To treat, a dentist will replace the filling, or you may need a crown if the tooth structure is compromised.
Loose Crown
Crowns periodically need to be replaced.Underneath your crown, your tooth has been whittled down for the crown to fit. When a crown becomes loose or falls off, it leaves behind the sensitive part of your tooth, which may result in throbbing tooth pain.
A dentist may need to glue the existing crown back in place. Other times, you may require an entirely new crown. In the meantime, you will receive a temporary crown, which will alleviate your pain.
Weak Enamel
When the outer layer of your teeth (the enamel) becomes weak, it can lead to throbbing tooth pain. The following can lead to enamel erosion and weakness:
Bruxism (Teeth Grinding or Clenching)
Grinding or clenching your teeth can also lead to throbbing tooth pain. The extreme pressure exerted on your teeth can lead to the following kinds of tooth damage:
Treatment forbruxismprimarily includes stress management and using amouth guardwhen you sleep. If your teeth are damaged, repairs like fillings and crowns may be required.
Gum Disease
Gum diseaseis a common cause of throbbing tooth pain. Gum disease can lead to loose teeth, sensitive teeth, and pain while chewing.A periodontist (a dentist specializing in gum disease) will help you develop a plan for caring for your gums at home. They may also clean your gums in the office.
Injury to the Teeth or Face
If you injure your teeth or face, you may experience throbbing tooth pain. That’s especially true if your teeth become cracked or broken. Treatment for tooth injuries involves repairing the damaged tooth, including things like dental crowns or extractions.
Erupted or Impacted Tooth
When teeth are erupting through the gums or impacted (unable to erupt), it can lead to throbbing tooth pain. This is quite common withwisdom teeth. If the teeth can erupt on their own, the pain will resolve afterward. In the case of wisdom teeth, you are likely to need them extracted.
In addition to more common causes, some less common things can cause throbbing tooth pain.
Dental Appliances
Throbbing tooth pain is common as people adjust to dental appliances, likeorthodonticappliances that put pressure on the teeth. Pain and discomfort are the most common side effects of orthodontic appliances.This is normal and usually goes away after your teeth adjust to the device. In other cases, your dental appliance may not fit well and needs to be adjusted.
Food or Debris Stuck in Teeth
Abnormal Bite
A bad bite, known asmalocclusion, can lead to tooth pain.Misaligned teeth can hit in the wrong way, resulting in pain. The solution for an abnormal bite is orthodontic treatment.
Referred Pain
Referred pain is when dental pain is the result of pain from another part of the body. Referred dental pain may result from the following:
Sinus Infection
It is not uncommon forsinus infectionpain to radiate to the teeth.That’s because these systems are interconnected, and the surrounding area’s inflammation often impacts the upper teeth. The solution is to treat the sinus infection.
Shingles
Shingles(reactivation of the virus that causes chicken pox) can present with tooth pain.Pain relievers and antiviral medications may help with this type of pain. To prevent shingles, get vaccinated if you are over 50 or if you have a weakened immune system and are over age 18.
Home Remedies and Self-Care Tips
While you wait to see a dentist, you can find tooth pain relief at home. Try some self-care measures and home remedies to stop your tooth from throbbing. The following may help temporarily:
If the above toothache remedies don’t stop or you need more help to stoptooth painfast, it’s best to see a dentist. Some reasons to see a dentist for throbbing tooth pain include:
Summary
Since the source of the problem nearly always requires medical attention, it’s important to see a dentist for cases of throbbing tooth pain. While you wait for your appointment, try OTC pain relievers and warm saltwater rinses, and avoid cold and hot foods and drinks.
21 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Siqueira JF, Rôças IN.Microbiology and treatment of acute apical abscesses.Clin Microbiol Rev. 2020;26(2):255-73. doi:10.1128/CMR.00082-12American Dental Association.Cavities: What are they and how do we prevent them?Mount Sinai.Tooth abscess.Stewart M, Levey E, Nayyer N.Salt water mouthwash post extraction reduced post operative complications.Evid Based Dent. 2015;16(1):27-8. doi:10.1038/sj.ebd.6401084American Association of Endodontists.Cracked teeth.National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.Dental fillings.Gateway Dental.What to do when a dental crown is loose.American Dental Association.Dental erosion.National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.Bruxism.National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.Periodontal (gum) disease.American Association of Endodontists.Traumatic dental injuries.Dodson TB, Susarla SM.Impacted wisdom teeth.BMJ Clin Evid. 2014;2014:1302.Olteanu CD, Bucur S-M, Chibelean M, Bud ES, Păcurar M, Feștilă DG.Pain perception during orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances.Applied Sciences. 2022;12(13):6389. doi:10.3390/app12136389Cheng Y, Wang Z, Shi Y, et al.Research on the characteristics of food impaction with tight proximal contacts based on deep learning.Comput Math Methods Med. 2021;2021:1000820. doi:10.1155/2021/1000820Tran K, Picheca L.Orthodontic Treatment for the Management of Pain or Impacted Teeth in Patients with Malocclusion: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness and Guidelines[Internet]. Ottawa (ON): Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health; 2017.Fukuda KI.Diagnosis and treatment of abnormal dental pain.J Dent Anesth Pain Med. 2016;16(1):1-8. doi:10.17245/jdapm.2016.16.1.1UT Health.Sinusitis, dental infection, or both.Kim IH, Mupparapu A, Yablonski JN, Mupparapu M.A patient with herpes zoster of the maxillary division of trigeminal nerve presents for oral evaluation and toothache.Dent Clin North Am. 2023;67(4):687-690. doi:10.1016/j.cden.2023.05.022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles vaccination.American Dental Association.Dental emergencies.Penn Dental Medicine.What to do for a toothache? Make a dentist appointment.
21 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Siqueira JF, Rôças IN.Microbiology and treatment of acute apical abscesses.Clin Microbiol Rev. 2020;26(2):255-73. doi:10.1128/CMR.00082-12American Dental Association.Cavities: What are they and how do we prevent them?Mount Sinai.Tooth abscess.Stewart M, Levey E, Nayyer N.Salt water mouthwash post extraction reduced post operative complications.Evid Based Dent. 2015;16(1):27-8. doi:10.1038/sj.ebd.6401084American Association of Endodontists.Cracked teeth.National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.Dental fillings.Gateway Dental.What to do when a dental crown is loose.American Dental Association.Dental erosion.National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.Bruxism.National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.Periodontal (gum) disease.American Association of Endodontists.Traumatic dental injuries.Dodson TB, Susarla SM.Impacted wisdom teeth.BMJ Clin Evid. 2014;2014:1302.Olteanu CD, Bucur S-M, Chibelean M, Bud ES, Păcurar M, Feștilă DG.Pain perception during orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances.Applied Sciences. 2022;12(13):6389. doi:10.3390/app12136389Cheng Y, Wang Z, Shi Y, et al.Research on the characteristics of food impaction with tight proximal contacts based on deep learning.Comput Math Methods Med. 2021;2021:1000820. doi:10.1155/2021/1000820Tran K, Picheca L.Orthodontic Treatment for the Management of Pain or Impacted Teeth in Patients with Malocclusion: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness and Guidelines[Internet]. Ottawa (ON): Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health; 2017.Fukuda KI.Diagnosis and treatment of abnormal dental pain.J Dent Anesth Pain Med. 2016;16(1):1-8. doi:10.17245/jdapm.2016.16.1.1UT Health.Sinusitis, dental infection, or both.Kim IH, Mupparapu A, Yablonski JN, Mupparapu M.A patient with herpes zoster of the maxillary division of trigeminal nerve presents for oral evaluation and toothache.Dent Clin North Am. 2023;67(4):687-690. doi:10.1016/j.cden.2023.05.022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles vaccination.American Dental Association.Dental emergencies.Penn Dental Medicine.What to do for a toothache? Make a dentist appointment.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Siqueira JF, Rôças IN.Microbiology and treatment of acute apical abscesses.Clin Microbiol Rev. 2020;26(2):255-73. doi:10.1128/CMR.00082-12American Dental Association.Cavities: What are they and how do we prevent them?Mount Sinai.Tooth abscess.Stewart M, Levey E, Nayyer N.Salt water mouthwash post extraction reduced post operative complications.Evid Based Dent. 2015;16(1):27-8. doi:10.1038/sj.ebd.6401084American Association of Endodontists.Cracked teeth.National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.Dental fillings.Gateway Dental.What to do when a dental crown is loose.American Dental Association.Dental erosion.National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.Bruxism.National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.Periodontal (gum) disease.American Association of Endodontists.Traumatic dental injuries.Dodson TB, Susarla SM.Impacted wisdom teeth.BMJ Clin Evid. 2014;2014:1302.Olteanu CD, Bucur S-M, Chibelean M, Bud ES, Păcurar M, Feștilă DG.Pain perception during orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances.Applied Sciences. 2022;12(13):6389. doi:10.3390/app12136389Cheng Y, Wang Z, Shi Y, et al.Research on the characteristics of food impaction with tight proximal contacts based on deep learning.Comput Math Methods Med. 2021;2021:1000820. doi:10.1155/2021/1000820Tran K, Picheca L.Orthodontic Treatment for the Management of Pain or Impacted Teeth in Patients with Malocclusion: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness and Guidelines[Internet]. Ottawa (ON): Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health; 2017.Fukuda KI.Diagnosis and treatment of abnormal dental pain.J Dent Anesth Pain Med. 2016;16(1):1-8. doi:10.17245/jdapm.2016.16.1.1UT Health.Sinusitis, dental infection, or both.Kim IH, Mupparapu A, Yablonski JN, Mupparapu M.A patient with herpes zoster of the maxillary division of trigeminal nerve presents for oral evaluation and toothache.Dent Clin North Am. 2023;67(4):687-690. doi:10.1016/j.cden.2023.05.022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles vaccination.American Dental Association.Dental emergencies.Penn Dental Medicine.What to do for a toothache? Make a dentist appointment.
Siqueira JF, Rôças IN.Microbiology and treatment of acute apical abscesses.Clin Microbiol Rev. 2020;26(2):255-73. doi:10.1128/CMR.00082-12
American Dental Association.Cavities: What are they and how do we prevent them?
Mount Sinai.Tooth abscess.
Stewart M, Levey E, Nayyer N.Salt water mouthwash post extraction reduced post operative complications.Evid Based Dent. 2015;16(1):27-8. doi:10.1038/sj.ebd.6401084
American Association of Endodontists.Cracked teeth.
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.Dental fillings.
Gateway Dental.What to do when a dental crown is loose.
American Dental Association.Dental erosion.
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.Bruxism.
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.Periodontal (gum) disease.
American Association of Endodontists.Traumatic dental injuries.
Dodson TB, Susarla SM.Impacted wisdom teeth.BMJ Clin Evid. 2014;2014:1302.
Olteanu CD, Bucur S-M, Chibelean M, Bud ES, Păcurar M, Feștilă DG.Pain perception during orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances.Applied Sciences. 2022;12(13):6389. doi:10.3390/app12136389
Cheng Y, Wang Z, Shi Y, et al.Research on the characteristics of food impaction with tight proximal contacts based on deep learning.Comput Math Methods Med. 2021;2021:1000820. doi:10.1155/2021/1000820
Tran K, Picheca L.Orthodontic Treatment for the Management of Pain or Impacted Teeth in Patients with Malocclusion: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness and Guidelines[Internet]. Ottawa (ON): Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health; 2017.
Fukuda KI.Diagnosis and treatment of abnormal dental pain.J Dent Anesth Pain Med. 2016;16(1):1-8. doi:10.17245/jdapm.2016.16.1.1
UT Health.Sinusitis, dental infection, or both.
Kim IH, Mupparapu A, Yablonski JN, Mupparapu M.A patient with herpes zoster of the maxillary division of trigeminal nerve presents for oral evaluation and toothache.Dent Clin North Am. 2023;67(4):687-690. doi:10.1016/j.cden.2023.05.022
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles vaccination.
American Dental Association.Dental emergencies.
Penn Dental Medicine.What to do for a toothache? Make a dentist appointment.
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