Symptoms & conditions
Tooth pain
The short answer
Most toothaches signal decay that has reached the nerve, a cracked tooth, or an infected gum. Paracetamol plus ibuprofen alternated every 3 hours controls the pain while you book. Do not ignore it — untreated pulp infection turns into an abscess within days.
What's happening
The clinical picture
Pain in a single tooth that flares with cold or hot usually means the nerve is inflamed but still reversible — a filling might save it. Pain that throbs on its own, wakes you up at night, or lingers for minutes after a hot drink means the nerve is dying and root canal (or extraction) is the only fix. Sharp pain only on biting is often a cracked tooth. Pain across multiple teeth can be gum disease or sinus pressure referred from above. A good diagnosis always starts with a dental X-ray and vitality test.
Warning signs
Contact us the same day if:
- Facial swelling around the painful tooth
- Fever with the pain
- Pain that woke you up multiple nights in a row
- Bad taste or pus leaking from around a tooth
- Difficulty opening your mouth or swallowing
What we do
Our approach
First visit: targeted X-ray of the suspect tooth, cold and biting tests to isolate the cause, and an honest answer on whether filling, root canal, or extraction is indicated. If infection is active we start antibiotics and schedule treatment for when the acute phase settles (usually 3-5 days). No unnecessary fillings, no "while you're here" upsells.
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