Will having a toothache hurt?

Having a toothache is often painful, though the severity of the pain may depend somewhat on the cause. For example, if your pain is due to tooth decay, or a cavity (the most common reason for toothaches), the pain could be fairly mild if the cavity is just starting to form. You may find that the “ache” is more of a sensitivity to hot or cold foods and drinks, or that you only feel the pain when eating certain foods.

However, your toothache may be due to a bigger cavity or a tooth abscess. An abscess is a collection of dead tooth tissue, white blood cells, live bacteria, and dead bacteria within your tooth. Often, with larger cavities and tooth abscesses, the pain of a toothache can be very severe. People with a tooth abscess use words like “sharp,” “throbbing,” and “stabbing” to describe the pain they are feeling.

You also may find that the pain of a toothache is accompanied by pain elsewhere. For instance, if you have a sinus infection, you may feel pain or tenderness in the tooth area along with pain under your cheekbone. An ear infection can lead to both ear and tooth pain.