The pain in one of my upper right molars has been getting progressively worse. I started feeling small spikes of pain in February but for the past month, the pain has been horrible. My dentist examined the tooth and did an x-ray but she says the tooth looks fine, and there is no cavity in it.. I am taking pain killer every six hours just to keep from being miserable. She told me to schedule an appointment if the pain is not better by the middle of next month. Really? Should I have to keep popping pain pills every day just because she doesn’t know what’s causing the problem? Is there any way to find out what’s going on with my tooth? Thank you. Gina

Gina – Your concerns are very understandable. When you have ongoing tooth pain, there are various possible causes. In part, identifying the pain depends on specifics of when you feel the pain and the type of pain you feel. Some examples are below.

• Lingering pain with hot or cold foods and drinks – The pulp of your tooth is likely damaged by decay, or by trauma to your tooth.
• Dull ache in upper teeth, accompanied by jaw pain – A sinus headache, teeth grinding, or TMJ disorder can cause this type of pain.
• Brief sensitivity to hot or cold foods and drinks – This can be a beginning sign of tooth decay.
• Sharp pain when biting food – A loose filling, tooth decay, or pulp tissue damage may be the cause.
• Severe constant pain, along with gum sensitivity or swelling – These symptoms are likely caused by an abscessed tooth.

In addition to dental causes, constant pain in the teeth or jaws can be signs of certain medical conditions.

We recommend that you schedule an appointment with another dentist to receive a second opinion on your tooth. If there are no apparent dental problems, you should consider visiting your primary care physician for further exams and tests.

This post is sponsored by Plano dentist Dr. Miranda Lacy.