Why Your Tooth Hurts
Your toothache is your body’s way of telling you something is off inside or around a tooth. When you come into our Charlottesville office, the cause is usually one of a handful: deep decay that has reached the nerve, a cracked or fractured tooth, an infected pulp, gum disease, an impacted wisdom tooth, or even referred pain from a sinus flare-up. Each one has a different fix, which is why getting you in for an accurate diagnosis matters more than any drugstore remedy you can try at home.
Sharp, lingering pain when you bite down usually points to a cracked tooth or a failing filling. Throbbing that gets worse when you lie down often signals pulp inflammation or an abscess. Hot and cold sensitivity that fades in a second or two is usually not urgent, but sensitivity that lingers for more than 30 seconds can mean the nerve is damaged and will need root canal therapy to save the tooth.
When to Call Us Right Away
Call us at 434-973-5873right away if you have facial swelling, a fever, pus around the tooth, trouble swallowing, or pain that over-the-counter medicine isn’t touching. Those are signs of a spreading infection that needs to be seen today. Even if your pain feels manageable, give us a call within a day or two — dental problems tend to grow quietly, and the sooner you’re in the chair, the simpler and gentler the fix usually is.
What You Can Do at Home Until We See You
Before you make it to our Charlottesville office, rinse with warm salt water to calm the bacteria, take ibuprofen (if it’s safe for you) to settle the inflammation, and hold a cold compress to your cheek in 15-minute intervals. Chew on the other side for now, and skip very hot or very cold foods and drinks. One thing to avoid: never place an aspirin tablet directly on your gums — it can burn the tissue.
How Your Visit Goes
Your visit starts with an unhurried exam, gentle digital X-rays, and a few simple tests so Dr. Karamcheti can pinpoint exactly what’s causing your pain. From there, the fix might be as simple as a fresh filling for a cavity, a same-day crown for a cracked tooth, root canal therapy to save an infected nerve, periodontal treatment for gum-related pain, or — when a tooth truly can’t be saved — an extraction and a plan to replace it. You’ll always hear every option, the cost, and the timeline in plain English before anything begins. No surprises.