At some point in your life, you might develop a major toothache. The pain from a toothache is relentless and will not go away unless you seek treatment. Many people will seek help from a dentist within a few days of developing the pain, primarily because it can be excruciating. If you have a horrible toothache, it is vital to visit a dentist, and here is how they might address the problem.

Take X-Rays to Identify the Problem

When you initially arrive at your dental visit, the dentist will begin by asking you the following questions:

• When did the pain begin?
• Where exactly does it hurt?
• What type of pain do you feel?
• Is the pain constant or intermittent?
• Is the pain interfering with your sleep?

Asking these questions can help the dentist understand the severity of the issue and where to look to find the problem. After asking the questions, they will take x-rays of the area of your mouth that hurts. The x-rays can help the dentist spot decay and infections hidden inside your teeth, bones, gums, and tooth roots.

Use a Cold Test on Your Teeth

If the x-rays do not clearly show the dentist which tooth is acting up, they might use a cold test to find the problematic tooth. This test may feel uncomfortable to you, but it provides answers to them. The test involves the dentist placing a very cold material on each tooth to see the tooth's response. From there, the dentist will find the problem.

Provide a Treatment Plan

When a tooth aches, there is likely an infection near the tooth or in the roots. The most common treatment plan for this problem is a root canal. Before completing the root canal, the dentist might prescribe an antibiotic for you to take. This medication aims to destroy the infection that is causing the pain. Once you begin taking this medication, you might feel some relief from the pain within a few days.

The dentist might also suggest pain pills for the pain. You can take over-the-counter pain pills or prescription pills.

Within a week or two, you will likely need to go through a root canal procedure to have the dentist remove the infection. You will feel much better after going through this procedure.

If you have tooth pain, especially throbbing pain, you should visit a dentist. They can help you solve this problem and find relief from the pain.